Miracle Magnesium Drink: NO ANXIETY in 1 Week

Miracle Magnesium Drink: NO ANXIETY in 1 Week

Health  

Magnesium is one of the most powerful antidotes to anxiety anywhere. This is certainly a pertinent fact, considering that most adults in the United States are deficient in this vital nutrient. The recommended daily intake or RDI is between 320 and 400 milligrams per day while the average American adult consumes less than 250 milligrams. Magnesium is required for an estimated 300+ biochemical bodily reactions.

Here is just a short list of our body’s processes in which magnesium plays a role:

1:Supports a healthy immune system.
2:Regulates heartbeat.
3:Strengthens the bones.
4:Aids energy production.
5:Regulates blood sugar.

Of course, magnesium is also critical to brain function. Magnesium may reduce brain inflammation, suppress the stress response, and promote the normalization of neurotransmitters. Magnesium may also have a calming effect on the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). While the SNS works with the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to keep us alive and kicking, it is also responsible for anxiety.

“Simply taking a good magnesium supplement could pull you out of a downward spiral.” – Carolyn Dean, M.D., author of The Magnesium Miracle



SIX SIGNS YOU NEED MORE MAGNESIUM TO HELP WITH ANXIETY

Before we show you how to make a great “miracle” beverage, here are a few signs you may need more “Mg” in your life!

1:You have trouble sleeping or insomnia.
2:You’re irritable, often for no reason.
3:You have a sensitivity to noise.
4:You’re anxious, depressed, or restless.
5:You suffer from sore muscles or muscle spasms, twitches, or tremors.
6:You suffer from bone fragility or osteoporosis.

The relationship between magnesium deficiency and anxiety is a convincing one. In a 2017 study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers found magnesium supplements decreased subjective measures of anxiety in “moderately anxious individuals.” (By “moderately anxious individuals” do they mean everyone?!)

Did you know there’s a way to make an anti-anxiety drink using – you guessed it – magnesium as the main ingredient? And here it is.

MIRACLE MAGNESIUM ANTI-ANXIETY DRINK
First, here are the ingredients that you will need (and their magnesium count):

1 cup of kale or spinach (157 milligrams).
1 banana (32 milligrams).
A tablespoon (TBSP) of raw cacao powder  (27 milligrams).
A teaspoon (TSP) of agave nectar or organic honey (1 milligram).
1 scoop of protein powder (optional; for additional nutrient benefits).
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (17 milligrams).
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly.

Total Mg count: 234 milligrams; 59-73% of recommended daily intake (RDI).

MAGNESIUM-RICH FOODS

“I find it funny that more doctors aren’t clued in to the benefits of magnesium, because we use it all the time in conventional medicine.” – Mark Hyman, M.D., author of The Ultra-Metabolism Cookbook and The Ultra-Mind Solution

To close things out, here is a top ten list of our favorite magnesium-rich foods!

*Dark leafy greens, 1 cup: 100-160 mg
*Pumpkin seeds, 1 ounce: 150 mg (!!)
*Black beans, 1 cup: 120 mg
*Salmon, 1 fillet: 106 mg
*Cashews, 1 ounce: 82 mg
*Whole grains, 1 ounce: 50-70 mg
*Dark chocolate (yay!!), 1 ounce: 65 mg
*Avocado, 1 medium: 59 mg
*Tofu, 3.5 ounces: 53 mg
*Bananas, 1 large: 37 mg

source:www.powerofpositivity.com

The Powerful Chinese Meditation Of Silent Illumination

The Powerful Chinese Meditation Of Silent Illumination

Life  

Silent Illumination

Silent illumination is a Buddhist practice that can be traced back not only to Huineng (638–713), the sixth patriarch of Chan, and other Chinese masters but also to the early teachings of the Buddha. In the Chan tradition, silent illumination is referred to as mozhao, from the Chinese characters mo (silent) and zhao (illumination).

Silent illumination is the simultaneous practice of stillness and clarity, or quiescence and luminosity. It is similar to the practice of shamatha and vipashyana, as long as we don’t consider these sequential to each other, first practising shamatha and then practicing vipashyana. In silence there is illumination; in stillness, clarity is ever present.

We Are Already Enlightened

The Chan tradition does not usually refer to steps or stages. Its central teaching is that we are intrinsically awake; our mind is originally without abiding, fixations, and vexations, and its nature is without divisions and stages. This is the basis of the Chan view of sudden enlightenment. If our mind’s nature were not already free, that would imply we could become enlightened only after we practiced, which is not so. If it’s possible to gain enlightenment, then it’s possible to lose it as well.


Consider a room, which is naturally spacious. However we organize the furniture in the room will not affect its intrinsic spaciousness. We can put up walls to divide the room, but they are temporary. And whether we leave the room clean or cluttered and messy, it won’t affect its natural spaciousness. Mind is also intrinsically spacious. Although we can get caught up in our desires and aversions, our true nature is not affected by those vexations. We are inherently free.

In the Chan tradition, therefore, practice is not about producing enlightenment. You might wonder, “Then what am I doing here, practic­ing?” Because practice does help clean up the “furniture” in the “room.” By not attaching to your thoughts, you remove the furniture, so to speak. And once your mind is clean, instead of fixating on the chairs, tables, and so on, you see its spaciousness. Then you can let the furniture be or rearrange it any way you want—not for yourself, but for the benefit of others in the room.

The ultimate way to practice silent illumina­tion is to sit without dependence on your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind. You sit with­out abiding anywhere, fabricating anything, or falling into a stupor. You neither enter into meditative absorption nor give rise to scattered thoughts. In this very moment, mind just is— wakeful and still, clear and without delusion. However, for many practitioners, such a standard can prove too high.

Three Stages of Silent Illumination

The practice of silent illumination taught by Master Sheng Yen can roughly be divided into three stages: concentrated mind, unified mind, and no-mind. Within each stage are infinite depths. You need not go through all the stages, nor are they necessarily sequential.

CONCENTRATED MIND

The first stage of practice is learning to sit in an contrived way, not trying to get this or get rid of that. You just sit with clarity and simplicity in the moment. In Chinese, this is called zhiguan dazuo, which means “just mind yourself sitting.”

To just sit is to be aware that you are sitting. When you’re sitting, can you feel the presence of your whole body—its posture, weight, and other sensations? “Just sitting” means, at the very least, you know clearly that the whole body is there. It doesn’t mean minding any particular part of your body—just your legs, arms, or pos­ture—or feeling every sensation of the body. The idea is to be aware of the general totality of your sitting experience. The body is sitting; you know this. This means your mind is sitting, too. So the body and mind are together as you’re sitting. If you don’t know you’re sitting, then you’re not following the method.

This method is subtle; it’s not like counting breaths from one to ten, which is very concrete. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to do. There is definitely something to do: Sit!

This method does not involve contemplating, observing thoughts, or continually scanning the body. Instead, it involves minding the act of sit­ting, staying with that reality from moment to moment to moment. When you mind your sit­ting, your body and mind are naturally together. You don’t watch the body or imagine it, as if you’re looking in from the outside, which is some kind of mental construct.

When you practice single-mindedly and intensely, with no gaps, for half an hour, your body might become drenched in sweat. But this traditional, tense way of practicing the method is not suitable for most present-day practitioners because so many are already stressed out in daily life. (Another limitation of the tense way is that it cannot be sustained for a long period of time, half an hour to an hour at most.) So it’s generally advisable to practice the method in a relaxed way, while continuing to be fully aware that you’re sitting.

Getting to know and learning to relax your body can free you from habitual tendencies and negative emotions. You may notice that when wandering thoughts arise, some parts of your body tense up. The same is true for deep-seated emotions, which are lodged in particular places of the body. Often, people live their lives in such a way that their bodies and minds are split; they do one thing with their bodies while their minds are elsewhere. Practising this first stage helps body and mind be more unified.

When you are wakeful and clear in each moment and not caught up with wandering thoughts, they subside of their own accord. They subside because your discriminating mind, which is tied to self-grasping, lessens. Your discrimi­nating mind lessens because you’re aware of the totality of the body as you are sitting. Without wandering thoughts, you are not grasping at this and that, nor attracted to or repulsed by particu­lar sensations. The concentration developed in the first stage of silent illumination is not a one-pointed focus of mind but an open, natural, and clear presence. It is concentration accompanied by wisdom.

UNIFIED MIND

When your discriminating mind diminishes, your narrow sense of self diminishes as well. Your field of awareness—which is at first the totality of the body—naturally opens up to include the external environment. Inside and outside become one. In the beginning, you may still notice that a sound is coming from a certain direction or that your mind follows distinct events within the environment, such as someone moving. But as you continue, these distinctions fade. You are aware of events around you, but they do not leave traces. You no longer feel that the environment is out there and you are in here. The environment poses no opposition or burden. It just is. If you are sitting, then the environment is you, sitting. If you have left your seat and are walking about, then the environment is still you, in all of your actions. This experience, the second stage of silent illumination, is called the oneness of self and others.

Can you still hear sounds? Yes. Can you get up to have a drink of water or urinate? Of course. Is there mentation? Yes. You have thoughts as you need them to respond to the world, but they are not self-referential. Compassion naturally arises when it is needed; it has nothing to do with emotion. There is an intimacy with everything around you that is beyond words and descriptions. When you urinate, the body, urine, and toilet are not separate. Indeed, you all have a wonderful dialogue!

In this stage, you see clearly what needs to be done. You see how to respond, but without any reference point or opposition. If you hear a bird, you are a bird. When you interact with a person, your mind is not stirred. You see things as one; they are part of you, and you are part of them. It’s not that you think, “They are part of me and I’m really big! I include the whole world!” Nor is it that you dissolve into the external environment, not knowing who you are anymore. It is just that the sense of self-reference is diminished and the burdens of normal vexations have temporarily vanished.

There are progressively deeper states of this second stage. When you enter a state in which the environment is you sitting, the environment may become infinite and boundless, bringing about a state of oneness with the universe. The whole world is your body sitting there. Time passes quickly and space is limitless. You are not caught up in the particulars of the environ­ment. There is just openness of mind, clarity, and a sense of the infinite. This is not yet the realiza­tion of no-self; it is the experience of great self.

At this point, three subtler experiences may occur, all related to the sense of great self. The first is infinite light. The light is you, and you experience a sense of oneness, infinity, and clarity.

The second experience is infinite sound. This is not the sound of cars, dogs, or something simi­lar. Nor is it like music or anything else you have ever heard. It is a primordial, elemental sound that is one with the experience of vastness. It is harmonious in all places, without reference or attribution.

The third experience is voidness. But this is not the emptiness of self-nature or of no-self that would constitute enlightenment. This is a spacious voidness in which there is nothing but the pure vastness of space. Although you do not experience a sense of self, a subtle form of self and object still exists.

These progressively deeper states are all related to samadhi states. When you emerge from them, you must try not to think about them anymore because they are quite alluring. Say to yourself, “This state is ordinary; it’s not it.” Otherwise, it will lead to another form of attachment.

StillnessYou might be in the initial phase of the second stage of silent illumination for a few minutes or a few months. During this time, nothing obstructs you—when you are sitting, you feel the environ­ment is you, sitting; when you are walking about, you feel connected with the environment. In the later phase of the second stage, you may even think you are enlightened because the deeper levels of oneness are so profound. Practitioners sometimes think they have suddenly become smarter or understood all the scriptures.

All these states of clarity are wonderful; they give you a strong conviction in the usefulness of buddhadharma and the possibility of a state free from vexations. However, they still do not repre­sent the clarity of the third stage—the realization of silent illumination. Become attached to any of these states and you will be further from them. All of them must be let go.

NO-SELF, NO-MIND

The clarity of the second stage is like looking through a spotless window. You can see through it very well, almost as if the window were not there, but it is there. In the second stage, the self lies dormant but subtle self-grasping is present. In other words, seeing through a window, even a very clean one, is not the same as seeing through no window at all. Seeing through no window is one way of describing the state of enlighten­ment, which is the third stage. In utter clarity, the mind is unmoving. Why? Because there is no self-referential mind.

The third stage of silent illumination is the realization of quiescence and wakefulness, still­ness and awareness, samadhi and prajna, all of which are different ways to describe mind’s natural state. Experiencing it for the first time is like suddenly dropping a thousand pounds from your shoulders—the heavy burdens of self-attachment, vexations, and habitual tendencies. Prior to that, you may not know exactly what self-attachment or vexations are. But once you are free from them, you clearly recognize them.

Self-attachment, vexations, and habitual ten­dencies run deep. So practitioners must work hard to experience enlightenment again and again until they can simply rest in mind’s natural state. The key is to practice diligently but seek no results.

By practicing in this way, our life gradually becomes completely integrated with wisdom and compassion, and even traces of “enlighten­ment” vanish. We are able to offer ourselves to everyone, like a lighthouse, helping all those who come our way, responding to their needs with­out contrivance. This is the perfection of silent illumination.

You might ask, “I’ve been practicing for ten years now—exactly when is this going to hap­pen to me?” The difference between delusion and enlightenment is only a moment away. In an instant, you can be free from the constructs of your identity and see through the veil of your fabrications.

Remember that practice is much more than following a particular method or going through stages on a path. Practice is life and all of its “furniture.” Practice helps us see the room and not attach to the furniture. Enlightenment is not something special—it is the natural freedom of this moment, here and now, unstained by our fabrications.

Written By ~ Guo Gu

Guo Gu (Jimmy Yu) received inka from the late Chan Master Sheng Yen in 1995 and served as his assistant and translator until Sheng Yen’s death in 2009. He is the Sheng Yen Assistant Professor of Chinese Buddhism at Florida State University and the founder of the Tallahassee Chan Group. His new ebook is The Essence of Chan.

Original article @ Lions Roar 
source:www.thewayofmeditation.com

5 Things That Stop People Experiencing The Pure State Of Meditation

5 Things That Stop People Experiencing The Pure State Of Meditation

Health  

The pure state of meditation is beyond time because it is eternally present. Discovering and realising this ‘hidden in plain sight’ natural treasure is the purpose of meditation. Zen master Dogen advises to sit with the confidence that you are already Buddha, Tibetan yogi’s suggest to just sit and not change or fabricate anything and the highest non-dual teachings of Indian Advaita tell us you simply have to stop seeking anything else and realise you already are what you’re searching for.

Countless other spiritual teachers say we have a divinity within us that surpasses human conditioning. It has been called by many names, in Buddhism it’s known as Buddha nature: an empty luminous awareness which is ever present at the very heart of all moments and the ground of all experiences. In Hinduism it’s been known for thousands of years as Brahman, the universal consciousness which is the source of all things and the essence of being.

The naturally joyful light of awareness is always shining it merely gets covered over by repeatedly grasping at thoughts and chasing after instinctual and socially constructed desires. Nirvana is the elimination of that never ending cycle of pursuing happiness in outer conditions and the name given to the intense peace experienced after the extinguishing of that fruitless project.

The natural radiance of our essentially divine nature is love, bliss and wisdom. As experienced by so many mystics through-out the ages and even found by everyday people who have come to a cathartic enlightened experience  in varies ways, including near death experiences, complete surrender, moments of awe fully connected with the majesty of nature or any experience which directs attention completely and undisturbed deeply into the present moment.

“Meditation is nothing but a device to make you aware of your real self—which is not created by you, which need not be created by you, which you already are. You are born with it. You are it!”

Ok I’ve mentioned this is the pure state of meditation, not mindfulness, not concentration and not energy manipulation. All those things are great but they are not pure meditation which is beyond all fabricated or manipulated temporary states of mind. In Vedic terms people are often directed to look for what is permanent which is a great way of finding the ultimate pure nature within. I don’t mean to be dogmatic or arrogant about meditation sayng what it really is, I just want to point out what I have found to be the highest ultimate meditation and separate it from the many different types of relative meditation practices out there.

The pure state of meditation is simply abiding as that which you already are without any attempt to look elsewhere or manafacture any specific states of mind. This mind as it is right now is enlightenment. Even though its available and waiting for you to discover, not everyone can find it and there are 5 main things that get in the way and cover your radiant true nature preventing you from experiencing it. I also included simple instructions at the end of each section to help experience the pure state of meditation.

The 5 Things That Block The Pure State Of Meditation

1. Too Much Concentration

Too much concentration restricts and narrows the mind onto an object and can temporarily bring states of bliss and relief but this level of concentration can never be maintained. Concentration is useful as doorway into the natural state but it’s a poor substitute. Too much one pointed concentration leads into a trance like state which again is pleasant but not what we’re looking for.

“Effortless doesn’t mean no concentration; effortless means just enough concentration to be vivid, to be present, to be here, to be now. To be bright. My teacher used to call this “effortless concentration.” We each need to find out for ourselves what this means. Too much concentration and we get too tight; too little concentration and we get dreamy. Somewhere in the middle is a state of vividness and clarity and inner brightness.”

Too much concentration takes too much effort, too much force and leads you away from the natural state of being. Not enough concentration and you will become dull and fall asleep. The pure state of meditation is effortless and natural so trying to concentrate too much and relying on concentration can inhibit and block this natural state of being.

“In true meditation all objects (thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, etc.) are left to their natural functioning. This means that no effort should be made to focus on, manipulate, control, or suppress any object of awareness.” ~ Adyashanti

Instruction: Not too tight, not too loose without anything to concentrate on you are nevertheless undistracted.

2. Goals and Expectations

This is a major stumbling block for many people which prevents the pure state of meditation. Of course meditation has deeply healing properties just like sleep restores the body and mind, meditation has many scientifically proven health benefits which stem from the deep rest and stress free states that arise within a naturally pure meditation. However, to sit with these goals in mind strangely stops you from achieving them.

The pure state of meditation cannot be created through causes or is ever an effect of a technique. It’s more like you set up the right conditions and remove all the obstacle like the ones I’m pointing out in this blog and then meditation arises by itself, you cannot force it or will it to happen. As explained by the great Tibetan Buddhist master Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche

“We should realise that meditation transcends effort, practice, aims, goals and the duality of liberation and non-liberation. Meditation is always perfect; there is no need to correct anything.”

The pure state of  meditation is goalless because pure meditation is timeless. Some call it transcendent, going beyond the normal realms of cause and effect into a pure realm of eternal nowness. Others call it spontaneous presence. Just resting into your true nature allows this primordial presence to shine. But it’s not a meditation technique that causes the effect of pure presence, real meditation is not a technique that causes a result.

When you sit in a pure state of meditation there is nothing left to add and nothing to take away. Timelessly perfect as an embodiment of the entire universe.

Many people I have coached in meditation have had amazing mystical experiences in the past and this can be become a major obstacle to ongoing meditation because these people have huge expectations of their meditation to bring about these mystic experiences again. But no matter what amazing experiences you’ve had in the past the resounding advice from all meditation masters is to let them go too and just rest in your natural state.

Also it’s important to take time out of the equation when sitting in meditation.

Instruction: Do not look to the future, do not dwell on the past and do not expect anything in the present moment. Just sit in the clarity of the here and now.

3. Being Overly Controlling

This is such an important blockage to dissolve because its at the heart of an egoic mode of being as opposed to an authentic way of being. An ego is always trying to control and manipulate situations for its perceived benefit. But pure meditation arises due to genuine authenticity. A fierce determination to be yourself, warts and all.

A naturally pure meditation is not about controlling your breath or your body’s energy or even trying to control your thoughts, it’s releasing your hands off the wheel and taking a mental step backwards and allowing things to be as they are.

“Real meditation is not about mastering a technique; it’s about letting go of control.”

Trying to control your meditation is sure fire way to ruin your chances of revealing your naturally pure awareness. This can be very frustrating because we are so used to exerting our will power to get what we want but natural meditation is a complete reversal of this process. Put in another way:

“…the pure state of meditation is a state of being not a state of doing.”

One of the best ways to gauge your ability to not be in control is to use the classic observation of the breath as a gateway to a naturally pure meditation. Because of our conditioned ways of doing things we always try and control things we observe and it becomes evident when we watch our breath. It’s difficult to let go of breathing intentionally and just watch the breath do whatever it is doing. The Buddha’s advice is: if it’s a short breath observe a short breath, if it’s a long breath observe a long breath etc.

Because we can both control our breath and let go of control and just observe the breath it’s an awesome tool for entering into the natural state. Allow your breath to breathe itself, on automatic just like it is for most of the day and night but in meditation we calmly notice this automatic process without controlling it in any way. Try it. It’s radically peaceful.

Extend this non interfering type of witnessing to the entire moment of meditation. Including thoughts. Don’t try to suppress or control thoughts, allow them to arise and they also dissolve into nothingness all by themselves. This is the naturally liberating freedom of just being.

Instruction: Let yourself be as you are; don’t change anything, don’t fabricate anything allow and open yourself into being the silent witness.

4. Pretending

When sitting down to practice real meditation it’s important not to pretend to be anything other than what you already are. Don’t add anything extra. Don’t clothe your naked awareness with accessories. Especially don’t think that now I am meditating, that’s just more pretending. Pure meditation is just a name given to the natural state of being, don’t adopt it as a new identity that will cover the real state and don’t think it’s something special either.

 “When engaging in meditation practice, we should feel it to be as natural as eating, breathing and defecating. It should not become a specialized or formal event, bloated with seriousness and solemnity.” ~  Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche

pure state of meditation

Don’t replace the authentic state of meditation with the knowledge of meditation. The natural state is not a philosophy it’s a state of being.

Also don’t fool yourself that being high is meditation. No matter how blissful, insightful or even therapeutic taking different drugs can be it’s a poor substitute for the natural state of being which is timelssly present and not reliant on any substances.

Pretending can take many forms including acting spiritual, pretending to love everyone, wearing spiritual clothes and even adopting a new spiritual name. There’s nothing particularly wrong with those things I’m just warning to not get so caught up in them that you cannot just sit and be your true authentic self as you are.

I’m certainly not claiming to be perfect here I’m talking about the ability to just sit with yourself as you are. I think a good dose of humour is essential in the pursuit of meditation  to not take yourself too seriously. If you haven’t seen JP Spears YouTube clips take a look where he makes fun of being ultra spiritual.

Instruction: When sitting in meditation completely relax all your face muscles, let go of all pretense and masks and rest back as simple and authentic as you can be.

5. No Trust In Your Real Self

This is the crux of it. If you don’t trust that your essential nature is pure, wise and all fulfiling it’s difficult to truly let go and just be yourself. As one Zen master advises “just be your yourself, not the one you imagine yourself to be but your true self before any descriptions.”

This lack of trust that you are already complete and fulfilled drives the compulsive chasing of satisfaction in the conditions of life which can never fully satisfy you completely because life is ephemeral and constantly changing. This lack of trust in the satisfaction of just being is a major hindrance and blockage of being able to rest in a state of pure meditation.

It’s in this trusting of your own nature that real freedom can be found and a natural simplicity of being can easily emerge, as Adyashanti says:

“All that is necessary to awaken to yourself as the radiant emptiness of spirit is to stop seeking something more or better or different, and to turn your attention inward to the awake silence that you are.”

Of course this should not stay on the level of blind faith or trusting someone else, once you have directly experienced this naturally abiding peace for yourself it becomes real confidence. Zen master Bankei said:

“…conclusively realise that what’s unborn and marvellously illuminating is truly the Buddha Mind”

It is necessary at the beginning to be inspired and trust the words of others until you have realised it for yourself.

“Only those who have the great capacity of genuine trust can enter this realm. Those who have no trust are unable to accept it, however much they hear it.” – Zen Master Dogen

Hopefully this blog has inspired this type of trust or at least enough curriousity to find it and have a go at experiencing for yourself a naturally pure meditation. Diving head first into the empty abyss of just being to reveal what was always there waiting to be revealed. A luminous natural clarity unstained by ideas or judgements, free from all stress, artifice, the original authentic wakefulness that easily manifests when all effort and control are dropped and there’s nothing left but this moment just as it is.

Instruction: Trust that your nature is all good and simply resting back without anything to do peace, joy and clarity will naturally emerge.

Written by Chad Foreman
source:www.thewayofmeditation.com

THE PATH BEYOND

THE PATH BEYOND

Buddhism  

Katama ca sa … sambodhaya nibbanaya samvattati.

And what is the Middle Way that a Tathagata has Awakened to, which gives vision …
and leads to … Nibbana? It is the Noble Eightfold Path—that is to say:
Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort,
Right Mindfulness and Right Collectedness.
This is the Middle Way that a Tathagata has Awakened to.

The frames of the illuminations often come in a pair or triad that form a set, relating to each other in certain ways. The contents of this frame follow from the previous panel; this is what the “Middle Way” is about and how it can be defined in conventional terms. It also continues to approach human life broadly. Here, the Buddha is not formulating a particular set of beliefs or assumptions that you have to take on board before you can understand the teachings; he teaches in a way that is accessible to any religious Path. Coincidentally, at the time of creating these particular paintings, I was in the habit of visiting a small, rarely-used church near the monastery where I was living. The monastery was very busy with renovation work, and in my free time I would go to the nearby church to practice my chanting and meditate. I developed a great appreciation of the calm atmosphere, the simplicity and the sense of dedication within that tiny old church. Such things go beyond the beliefs of any one religion. Remembering this, I have framed the broad outlines of the Buddha’s teaching with the window of the church.

The lotus is often used in Buddhist art as a symbol of purity, for the Path is one of purity—the purity of selflessness. The lotus arises from the mud of the ordinary earthbound mind and always turns towards the sun—to that which is higher than low or selfish feelings. In this way, it conveys the mood of the word “ariyo” meaning “noble,” for nobility is the quality in us that rises above pettiness, selfishness and narrow-mindedness.

The different aspects of the Path are all characterized as “samma,” meaning “Right,” “Perfect” or “Consummate.” The Buddha is talking about following the principles of being “noble” in different aspects of life. The first factor, Right View (sammaditthi), is concerned with having a proper perspective on life. Right View places wisdom on an experiential, rather than abstract, foundation and is, in turn, the basis for Right Thought or Right Intention. The list continues with “Right”-ness in one’s speech and action. It can be called “virtue.” The last three factors relate to the direct practice of mind cultivation: “vayamo” (effort); “sati” (mindfulness) and “samadhi”(collectedness, concentration). These are most often cultivated through formal meditation exercises.

Wisdom, virtue and meditation can be reference points for anyone on the spiritual path. Together they present a complete and integrated approach. Various religions or different ways of cultivating the mind may emphasize one aspect or another. For example, some religions place a great stress on morality and conventions with promises of heavenly rewards for those who obey, and punishment for those who don’t. Such attitudes often omit and may even reject the possibility for personal reflection. Unguided by wisdom, moral commandments lead to fundamentalism with the intolerance, repression and blinkered conceit that it brings about.

A subtler attachment to virtue is the belief that if you just keep performing good actions, such as ritual offerings to gods, then this in itself will get you somewhere without any further work on the mind. This affects Buddhism too. In Buddhist countries, there’s a very strong feeling about accumulating “merit” by making offerings to monks or temples. This has a certain truth in it, and was even acknowledged by the Buddha: generosity is a sign of a selfless heart—a great blessing to the world. Unfortunately, the idea of “gaining merit” can substitute for true selflessness, and make one feel that no further cultivation is necessary. So the Buddha always pointed out that the highest kind of merit, even greater than giving alms to a Buddha, was to cultivate meditation properly.

Fruitful as the act of giving is … yet it is still more fruitful to go with confident heart for Refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha and determine the five moral precepts. … Fruitful though that is, yet it is still more fruitful to maintain loving-kindness for the period of time that it takes to milk a cow. … Fruitful though that is, it is still more fruitful to maintain awareness of impermanence for only as long as a finger-snap. (Anguttara Nikaya: [V],Nines,20)

At the other extreme are those who don’t bother with any morality or conventions, and think that they can become enlightened just through sitting in meditation. This is more common in the West. People can get really obsessive about having the right conditions to SIT in, and yet pay no attention to selfless actions, kindness or sense restraint. Meditation becomes motivated by the need for self-affirmation, a drive to attain samadhi, experience bliss or remodel oneself. That’s the meditation fanatic’s attitude! However, a steady and sensitive mind leads to proper understanding and right conduct in daily life. So the Buddha always related meditation, not to ecstatic trances or complex abstractions, but to good sense that would manifest in mundane, as well as transcendent, terms.


Then again, wisdom itself can be developed to the point where it loses contact with reality, as in the case of metaphysics. Philosophy and theology rely heavily upon intellectual understanding yet fall short in the development of wisdom through attention to actual experience. So having a mind full of ideas does not necessarily grant one any clearer perspective on how to live one’s life. Even with proper wisdom and virtue, without the assiduous practice of inner contemplation that meditation exercises make possible, one is sowing good seeds but is not tasting the fruit.

If, individually, no single aspect of the spiritual path is conducive to “peace, profound understanding and full realization,” where is the Way? It is broader and yet more exacting than any of these possibilities:

I do not say that you can attain purity by views, traditions, insight, morality or conventions; nor will you attain purity without these. But by using them for abandonment, rather than as positions to hold onto, you will come to be at peace without the need to be anything. (Sutta Nipata: [V], 848)

The Middle Way, that is, the Eightfold Path, is the balance and counterbalance of all the spiritual fundamentals. It summarizes the ways in which one cultivates a spiritual path and then qualifies that with the reminder that the Path is to be cultivated in ways that are “Right.” Consider that bland prefix, “Right.” “Samma” means “whole” or “complete.” It means ways that are not partial, biased or self-oriented, but ways that are of benefit to others as well as to oneself. “Samma” conveys a whole, balanced feeling. This is the “rightness” that is noble rather than perfectionist; and—to consider another meaning of noble—it is also an indication of something rare. If we practice meditation with wrong view, we will always remain obsessed with ourselves—trying to cultivate something for ourselves or simply be mesmerized by a particular problem, vice or virtue. Meditation is not an answer in itself; we need the guidance to ward off the obsessiveness that accumulates around anything that is seen in personal terms. To abandon self-conscious drives and ambitions without abandoning the practice requires skill. How can I, an unawakened worldling with a head full of noise, acquire that skill?

How to find that right balance is explained in the subsequent teaching—a teaching that the Buddha said was peculiar to fully enlightened beings. And it’s based upon something that everybody knows about.
source:www.cittaviveka.org

KARMA

KARMA

Life  

Chēthanāhan Bhikkhavē kamman vadāmi. Chēthayithvā kamman karōthi kāyēna vāchāya manasā”
“Dear Bhikkhu, I see intention as the Karma. One does Karma by body, words, and mind based on an intention.”
(Nibbēdhika Sutta – A.N. 6th Nipātha)

karma is still an unsolvable puzzle for many humans and deities. But our great teacher the Gautama Buddha, who built the golden age of the mankind, realized and witnessed the nature of Karma fully and how it influences the beings of the world and how to overcome its effects. The above description of the Karma by the Lord Buddha reveals how profound His knowledge was on this intricate subject.
Karma or intention occurs as a result of contact, which is expounded as the bringing internal and external faculties together by the intervention of Viññānaya (explicit recognition). For an example, Viññānaya in the eyes (Chakkhu Viññānaya) arises because of eyes (internal) and figures (external); and the collection of these three is the contact in the eye. This contact that occurs in eyes is called Roopa Sanchētanā, which is the occurrence of intention based on the figure seen by the eyes. As a result of that, deeds are done from mind, body, and words. Thus the Karma occurs in such background.
Beings of the world live and act like servants of Karma. They are bound to Karma in a way so they cannot get rid of it; it’s like a cart wheel tightly fastened by an iron pin. It is so influential such that it is okay to say that Karma is the governing power of one’s comfort and suffering.
“Dear Monks, these beings live having Karma as what they own. They live inheriting the Karma, making it the birth place, and making it their relative. The Karma is their refuge. If a friendly or evil karma is performed, that Karma will be his inheritance.”

(Sansappanii Pariyāya Sutta – A.N. 10th Nipātha)

The Supreme Buddha showed how the beings are born in worlds with pleasures and sufferings according to their own Karma.

“Dear Lord King, it’s like this. Let’s say there’s a multi-floor mansion in a junction. A person in a top floor looks at the ground. He then sees all the people that come in the house and going out from it. He also sees the people who walk in the streets. People who are sitting on the ground at the center of the junction are also seen by him. Then he gets this idea: ‘these people come in the house and go out from the house. These people walk in the streets. Some people are sitting on the ground in the center of the junction.’
Dear Lord King, in a similar way when a Bhikkhu’s mind is tranquil, cleansed, brightened, free of obstacles, free of blemishes (Upaklēsha), softened, suitable for cultivation, and unalterable, he focuses his mind to realize the passing-away and birth of beings. He bends his mind to it.
Then that Bhikkhu sees beings from a supernatural eye, which excels regular eye-sight of humans. He sees beings that are passing-away and being born. He gains the knowledge of all beings that are being born in low, high, colorful, and dreary forms and in upper-level and low-level worlds according to their Karma. ‘Oh, these beings’ actions were evil, words were evil, and thoughts were evil. They treated meritorious monks evilly. They were with false views and acted upon them. These beings are now born in hell after their deaths.
But these meritorious beings had virtuous actions, virtuous words, and virtuous thoughts. They didn’t treat meritorious monks in evil manner. They had righteous views and acted upon them. These beings are now born in divine worlds.’ Thus the Bhikkhu sees these beings with his supernatural eye, which is beyond the regular eye-sight of humans. He sees beings that are passing-away and being born. He gains the knowledge of all beings that are being born in low, high, colorful, and dreary forms and in upper-level and low-level worlds according to their Karma.

(Sāmññphala Sutta – Deegha Nikaya)

It is obvious from this that the beings are born in either divine worlds or hell and be comfortable or suffer based on their own Karma. This also seems to be a subject for great human beings who developed their minds. This wisdom of seeing other beings’ passing-away and birth (Chuthūpapātha Gnāna) was attained by Bhikkhus, who were able to attain the fourth state of contemplation (jhāna) by developing their concentration, in the time of the Supreme Buddha. Most people think that they can trick their Karma as they wish. But see the following description of Karma delivered by the Supreme Buddha with His great wisdom of disclosing hidden things.

“Dear Monks, I don’t say outcomes of Karma one is accumulated intentionally going to be end without being facing them. The person might be visited by those outcomes in this life, the next life, or in any other future life, as long as that person is born again. Therefore, ‘dear monks, I don’t say consequences of Karma one is accumulated intentionally going to be end without being facing them.’
In this regard, dear monks, there are three types of bodily actions that are done with evil thoughts (consentience). The outcome of these actions is suffering. There are four types of actions relate to words that are done with evil thoughts (consentience). These also cause suffering. There are three types of actions relate to mind that are done with evil thoughts (consentience). These also cause suffering.”

(Pathama Sanchethanika Sutta – A. N. 6)

Killing beings, stealing, and adulteration belong to defilements related to bodily actions. Lying, divulge secrets, communicating harsh words, and communicating vacuous words belong to defilements related to words. The three evil deeds related to mind are desire to have others belongings, ill will, and false view.
The Supreme Buddha showed the good side of these actions carried out by body, words, and mind in the same discourse as follows:
“In this regard Dear Monks, there are three good bodily actions governed by meritorious consentience that bring good fortune to a person. These cause pleasure. Good deeds with respect to good words caused by meritorious consentience are of four kinds that bring a person a good fortune. These cause pleasure. There are three types of mental actions that govern by meritorious thoughts bringing a fortune to a person. These cause pleasure to a person.”

(Pathama Sanchethanika Sutta – A. N. 6)

That is, refraining oneself from killing beings, stealing, and adulteration belong to meritorious bodily actions. Refraining from lying, divulging secrets, communicating harsh words, and communicating vacuous words belong to meritorious words. The three meritorious deeds related to mind are abstaining from desiring to have others belongings and ill will and having correct view 

(Sammā Ditthi).

It goes with life like a seed planted in the ground. This is how the Supreme Buddha saw that.
Dear Monks, if a person with the Sammā Ditthi has a bodily action, an action with respect to words, an action with respect to mind, an intention, an existence, an aim, and Karma (Sanskāra) that cause effects according to his view, all these will result in fulfilled, as desired, and pleasurable things. What is the reason for that? Dear Monks, that view is pleasant. Dear Monks, it is like this: let’s think that a seed of sugar cane or hill rice or grape was planted in a wet ground. If these seeds grow well by drawing nutrition and water from the earth, all these will result in sweet and tasty products. What’s the reason for that? Dear Monks, it’s because it was a pleasant seed.”

(A. N. 3rd Nipatha)

When a person of false views is performing a Karma based on that opinion what exists is a process of an evil seed. See the following preaching.
“Dear Monks, if a person with the false view has a bodily action, an action with respect to word, an action with respect to mind, an intention, an existence, an aim, and Karma (Sanskāra) that causes effects according to his view, all these will result in frustrated, unexpected, unwanted, and unhappy things. What is the reason for that? Dear Monks, that view is evil. Dear Monks, it is like this: let’s think that a seed of wormwood or bitter papaya was planted in a wet ground. If these seeds grow well by drawing nutrition and water from the earth, all these will result in bitter, harsh, and unpleasant product. What’s the reason for that? Dear Monks, it’s because it was an evil seed.”

(A. N. 3rd Nipatha)

Having such nature in the Karma, see how helpful it is to have deeds full of merits when one goes to a birth as a result of one’s own Karma. Please read the following preaching:

Dear Monks, let’s say someone donates things like foods, drinks, cloths, seats, flowers, scents, and houses to monks (ones who attempt to free from defilements). He likes to get things that he donates as a result of that good deed. He heard something like this: ‘Deities who live in the divine world called Chāthummahārājika have long lifespans. They have great pleasures.’ Then he feels this way: ‘I would also like to get a birth in Chāthummahārājika divine world after my death here.’ He then focuses his mind on to that expectation. He develops that mind. Because he focused his mind to this this crude sensual world again, his mind will take him to a birth in the Chāthummahārājika divine world after his death. Even this kind of birth is only for a virtuous person and not for an impure person. Dear Monks, the virtuous person’s hope will be fulfilled because of his pureness.”

(Dānupatti Sutta – A. N. 6)

This shows that a person’s birth completely depends on the nature of that person’s mind. If that mind becomes corrupted, he/she will have to be born in the great hell

 (Niraya).

Dear Monks, I am looking at a mind of a person who has a corrupted mind. If he is to die right now, he will be born in the great hell (Niraya) like the way a person puts away a heavy weight from his shoulders. What is the reason for that? Dear Monks, it’s because his mind is tainted. Dear Monks, some beings die and get births in hells (low-level worlds or Vinipātha) because their minds are contaminated.
Dear Monks, I am looking at a mind of a person who has a pleasant (not corrupted) mind. If he is to die right now, he will be born in upper-level worlds (among divine beings) like the way a person puts away a heavy weight from his shoulders. What is the reason for that? Dear Monks, it’s because his mind is pleasant. Dear Monks, some beings die and get births in the divine worlds because their minds are pleasant.”

(A. N. 1st Nipātha)

When someone is born, what that person gets is the six faculties: eyes, ears, a nose, a tongue, a body, and a mind. This is completely a result of his/her Karma. From these faculties, one has to feel comfort or face suffering according to that person’s Karma. See the following teaching of the Supreme Buddha about this matter.

“Dear Monks, what does it mean by an old Karma? Dear Monks, eye is an old Karma, an especially formed thing, an intentionally formed thing, and a thing that is perceived by sensation. Ear is an old Karma, an especially formed thing, an intentionally formed thing, and a thing that is perceived by sensation. Nose is an old Karma, an especially formed thing, an intentionally formed thing, and a thing that is perceived by sensation. Tongue is an old Karma, an especially formed thing, an intentionally formed thing, and a thing that is perceived by sensation. Body is an old Karma, an especially formed thing, an intentionally formed thing, and a thing that is perceived by sensation. Mind is an old Karma, an especially formed thing, an intentionally formed thing, and a thing that is perceived by sensation. Dear Monks, this is what is called an old Karma.”

(Kamma Sutta – S. N. 4)

Can’t we free from this Karma? Is Karma an eternal thing? No, we can indeed free ourselves from Karma. Karma is a non-eternal thing. It is a thing that comes to an end. The Supreme Buddha taught us in the following way:

“Dear Monks, what does it mean by freeing oneself from the Karma? The touching of the freedom by freeing oneself from the Karma done by body, words, and mind is known as the freeing from Karma.
Dear Monks, what is the path to free from Karma? It is the Eight Noble Path: Sammā Ditthi, Sammā Sankappa, Sammā Vāchā, Sammā Kammantha, Sammā Aajeeva, Sammā Vāyāma, Sammā Sathi, and Sammā Samādhi. Dear Monks, this is called the path of freeing oneself from the Karma.”

(Kamma Sutta – S. N. 4)

The subject of outcomes of Karma is infinite. Only a Buddha has the ability to comprehend it. Furthermore, one could only learn about it, at least up to a certain level, only in an era of a Buddha. Also, one will only be able to free oneself from Karma in a Buddha’s time by following the Eight Noble Path.
– Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero
source:mahamevnawa.lk

MARRIAGE, BIRTH CONTROL AND DEATH

MARRIAGE, BIRTH CONTROL AND DEATH

Life  

Buddhist Views on Marriage

 In Buddhism, marriage is regarded as entirely a personal, individual concern and not as a religious duty.

Marriage is a social convention, an institution created by man for the well-being and happiness of man, to differentiate human society from animal life and to maintain order and harmony in the process of procreation. Even though the Buddhist texts are silent on the subject of monogamy or polygamy, the Buddhist laity is advised to limit themselves to one wife. The Buddha did not lay rules on married life but gave necessary advice on how to live a happy married life. There are ample inferences in His sermons that it is wise and advisable to be faithful to one wife and not to be sensual and to run after other women. The Buddha realized that one of the main causes of man's downfall is his involvement with other women (Parabhava Sutta).Man must realize the difficulties, the trials and tribulations that he has to undergo just to maintain a wife and a family. These would be magnified many times when faced with calamities. Knowing the frailties of human nature, the Buddha did, in one of His precepts, advise His followers of refrain from committing adultery or sexual misconduct.

The Buddhist views on marriage are very liberal: in Buddhism, marriage is regarded entirely as personal and individual concern, and not as a religious duty. There are no religious laws in Buddhism compelling a person to be married, to remain as a bachelor or to lead a life of total chastity. It is not laid down anywhere that Buddhists must produce children or regulate the number of children that they produce. Buddhism allows each individual the freedom to decide for himself all the issues pertaining to marriage. It might be asked why Buddhist monks do not marry, since there are no laws for or against marriage. The reason is obviously that to be of service to mankind, the monks have chosen a way of life which includes celibacy. Those who renounce the worldly life keep away from married life voluntarily to avoid various worldly commitments in order to maintain peace of mind and to dedicate their lives solely to serve others in the attainment of spiritual emancipation. Although Buddhist monks do not solemnize a marriage ceremony, they do perform religious services in order to bless the couples.

Divorce

Separation or divorce is not prohibited in Buddhism though the necessity would scarcely arise if the Buddha's injunctions were strictly followed. Men and women must have the liberty to separate if they really cannot agree with each other. Separation is preferable to avoid miserable family life for a long period of time. The Buddha further advises old men not to have young wives as the old and young are unlikely to be compatible, which can create undue problems, disharmony and downfall (Parabhava Sutta).

A society grows through a network of relationships which are mutually inter-twined and inter-dependent. Every relationship is a whole hearted commitment to support and to protect others in a group or community. Marriage plays a very important part in this strong web of relationships of giving support and protection. A good marriage should grow and develop gradually from understanding and not impulse, from true loyalty and not just sheer indulgence. The institution of marriage provides a fine basis for the development of culture, a delightful association of two individuals to be nurtured, and to be free from loneliness, deprivation and fear. In marriage, each partner develops a complementary role, giving strength and moral courage to one another, each manifesting a supportive and appreciative recognition of the other's skills. There must be no thought of either man or woman being superior -- each is complementary to the other, a partnership of equality, exuding gentleness, generosity, calm and dedication.

Birth Control, Abortion and Suicide

Although man has freedom to plan his family according to his own convenience, abortion is not justifiable.
There is no reason for Buddhists to oppose birth control. They are at liberty to use any of the old or modern measures to prevent conception. Those who object to birth control by saying that it is against God's law to practise it, must realize that their concept regarding this issue is not reasonable. In birth control what is done is to prevent the coming into being of an existence. There is no killing involved and there is no akusala kamma. But if they take any action to have an abortion, this action is wrong because it involves taking away or destroying a visible or invisible life. Therefore, abortion is not justifiable.
According to the Teachings of the Buddha, five conditions must be present to constitute the evil act of killing. They are:

- a living being

- knowledge or awareness it is a living being

- intention of killing

- effort to kill, and

- consequent death

When a female conceives, there is a being in her womb and this fulfills the first condition. After a couple of months, she knows that there is a new life within her and this satisfies the second condition. Then for some reason or other, she wants to do away with this being in her. So she begins to search for an abortionist to do the job and in this way, the third condition is fulfilled. When the abortionist does his job, the fourth condition is provided for and finally, the being is killed because of that action. So all the conditions are present. In this way, there is a violation of the First Precept 'not to kill', and this is tantamount to killing a human being. According to Buddhism, there is no ground to say that we have the right to take away the life of another.

Under certain circumstances, people feel compelled to do that for their own convenience. But they should not justify this act of abortion as somehow or other they will have to face some sort of bad karmic results. In certain countries abortion is legalized, but this is to overcome some problems. Religious principles should never be surrendered for the pleasure of man. They stand for the welfare of the whole mankind.

Committing Suicide

Taking one's own life under any circumstances is morally and spiritually wrong. Taking one's own life owing to frustration or disappointment only causes greater suffering. Suicide is a cowardly way to end one's problems of life. A person cannot commit suicide if his mind is pure and tranquil. If one leaves this world with a confused and frustrated mind, it is most unlikely that he would be born again in a better condition. Suicide is an unwholesome or unskillful act since it is encouraged by a mind filled with greed, hatred and delusion. Those who commit suicide have not learnt how to face their problems, how to face the facts of life, and how to use their mind in a proper manner. Such people have not been able to understand the nature of life and worldly conditions.


Some people sacrifice their own lives for what they deem as a good and noble cause. They take their own life by such methods as self-immolation, bullet-fire, or starvation. Such actions may be classified as brave and courageous. However, from the Buddhist point of view, such acts are not to be condoned. The Buddha has clearly pointed out that the suicidal states of mind lead to further suffering.

Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera

source:www.budsas.org

BUDDHISM AND POLITICS

BUDDHISM AND POLITICS

Life  

 The Buddha had gone beyond all worldly affairs, but still gave advice on good government.

The Buddha came from a warrior caste and was naturally brought into association with kings, princes and ministers. Despite His origin and association, He never resorted to the influence of political power to introduce His teaching, nor allowed His Teaching to be misused for gaining political power. But today, many politicians try to drag the Buddha's name into politics by introducing Him as a communist, capitalist, or even an imperialist. They have forgotten that the new political philosophy as we know it really developed in the West long after the Buddha's time. Those who try to make use of the good name of the Buddha for their own personal advantage must remember that the Buddha was the Supremely Enlightened One who had gone beyond all worldly concerns.

There is an inherent problem of trying to intermingle religion with politics. The basis of religion is morality, purity and faith, while that for politics is power. In the course of history, religion has often been used to give legitimacy to those in power and their exercise of that power. Religion was used to justify wars and conquests, persecutions, atrocities, rebellions, destruction of works of art and culture.
When religion is used to pander to political whims, it has to forego its high moral ideals and become debased by worldly political demands.

The thrust of the Buddha Dhamma is not directed to the creation of new political institutions and establishing political arrangements. Basically, it seeks to approach the problems of society by reforming the individuals constituting that society and by suggesting some general principles through which the society can be guided towards greater humanism, improved welfare of its members, and more equitable sharing of resources.

There is a limit to the extent to which a political system can safeguard the happiness and prosperity of its people. No political system, no matter how ideal it may appear to be, can bring about peace and happiness as long as the people in the system are dominated by greed, hatred and delusion. In addition, no matter what political system is adopted, there are certain universal factors which the members of that society will have to experience: the effects of good and bad kamma, the lack of real satisfaction or everlasting happiness in the world characterized 

by dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), anicca (impermanence), and anatta(egolessness). To the Buddhist, nowhere in Samsara is there real freedom, not even in the heavens or the world of Brahama.
Although a good and just political system which guarantees basic human rights and contains checks and balances to the use of power is an important condition for a happy in society, people should not fritter away their time by endlessly searching for the ultimate political system where men can be completely free, because complete freedom cannot be found in any system but only in minds which are free. To be free, people will have to look within their own minds and work towards freeing themselves from the chains of ignorance and craving. Freedom in the truest sense is only possible when a person uses Dhamma to develop his character through good speech and action and to train his mind so as to expand his mental potential and achieve his ultimate aim of enlightenment.

While recognizing the usefulness of separating religion from politics and the limitations of political systems in bringing about peace and happiness, there are several aspects of the Buddha's teaching which have close correspondence to the political arrangements of the present day. Firstly, the Buddha spoke about the equality of all human beings long before Abraham Lincoln, and that classes and castes are artificial barriers erected by society. The only classification of human beings, according to the Buddha, is based on the quality of their moral conduct. Secondly, the Buddha encouraged the spirit of social -co-operation and active participation in society. This spirit is actively promoted in the political process of modern societies. Thirdly, since no one was appointed as the Buddha's successor, the members of the Order were to be guided by the Dhamma and Vinaya, or in short, the Rule of Law. Until today very member of the Sangha is to abide by the Rule of Law which governs and guides their conduct.

Fourthly, the Buddha encouraged the spirit of consultation and the democratic process. This is shown within the community of the Order in which all members have the right to decide on matters of general concern. When a serious question arose demanding attention, the issues were put before the monks and discussed in a manner similar to the democratic parliamentary system used today. This self-governing procedure may come as a surprise to many to learn that in the assemblies of Buddhists in India 2,500 years and more ago are to be found the rudiments of the parliamentary practice of the present day. A special officer similar to 'Mr. Speaker' was appointed to preserve the dignity of the Parliamentary Chief Whip, was also appointed to see if the quorum was secured. Matters were put forward in the form of a motion which was open to discussion. In some cases it was done once, in others three times, thus anticipating the practice of Parliament in requiring that a bill be read a third time before it becomes law. If the discussion showed a difference of opinion, it was to be settled by the vote of the majority through balloting.

The Buddhist approach to political power is the moralization and the responsible use of public power. The Buddha preached non-violence and peace as a universal message. He did not approve of violence or the destruction of life, and declared that there is no such thing as a 'just' war. He taught: 'The victor breeds hatred, the defeated lives in misery. He who renounces both victory and defeat is happy and peaceful.' Not only did the Buddha teach non-violence and peace, He was perhaps the first and only religious teacher who went to the battlefield personally to prevent the outbreak of a war. He diffused tension between the Sakyas and the Koliyas who were about to wage war over the waters of Rohini. He also dissuaded King Ajatasattu from attacking the Kingdom of the Vajjis.
The Buddha discussed the importance and the prerequisites of a good government. He showed how the country could become corrupt, degenerate and unhappy when the head of the government becomes corrupt and unjust. He spoke against corruption and how a government should act based on humanitarian principles.

The Buddha once said, 'When the ruler of a country is just and good, the ministers become just and good; when the ministers are just and good, the higher officials become just and good; when the higher officials are just and good, the rank and file become just and good; when the rank and file become just and good, the people become just and good.'(Anguttara Nikaya)
In the Cakkavatti Sihananda Sutta, the Buddha said that immorality and crime, such as theft, falsehood, violence, hatred, cruelty, could arise from poverty. Kings and governments may try to suppress crime through punishment, but it is futile to eradicate crimes through force.
In the Kutadanta Sutta, the Buddha suggested economic development instead of force to reduce crime. The government should use the country's resources to improve the economic conditions of the country. It could embark on agricultural and rural development, provide financial support to entrepreneurs and business, provide adequate wages for workers to maintain a decent life with human dignity.

In the Jataka, the Buddha had given to rules for Good Government, known as 'Dasa Raja Dharma'. These ten rules can be applied even today by any government which wishes to rule the country peacefully. The rules are as follows:

1) be liberal and avoid selfishness,

2) maintain a high moral character,

3) be prepared to sacrifice one's own pleasure for the well-being of the subjects,

4) be honest and maintain absolute integrity,

5) be kind and gentle,

6) lead a simple life for the subjects to emulate,

7) be free from hatred of any kind,

8) exercise non-violence,

9) practise patience, and

10) respect public opinion to promote peace and harmony.

Regarding the behavior of rulers, He further advised:

- A good ruler should act impartially and should not be biased and discriminate between one particular group of subjects against another.

- A good ruler should not harbor any form of hatred against any of his subjects.

- A good ruler should show no fear whatsoever in the enforcement of the law, if it is justifiable.

- A good ruler must possess a clear understanding of the law to be enforced. It should not be enforced just because the ruler has the authority to enforce the law. It must be done in a reasonable manner and with common sense. -- (Cakkavatti Sihananda Sutta)

In the Milinda Panha,it is stated: 'If a man, who is unfit, incompetent, immoral, improper, unable and unworthy of kingship, has enthroned himself a king or a ruler with great authority, he is subject to be tortured‚ to be subject to a variety of punishment by the people, because, being unfit and unworthy, he has placed himself unrighteously in the seat of sovereignty. The ruler, like others who violate and transgress moral codes and basic rules of all social laws of mankind, is equally subject to punishment; and moreover, to be censured is the ruler who conducts himself as a robber of the public.' In a Jataka story, it is mentioned that a ruler who punishes innocent people and does not punish the culprit is not suitable to rule a country.

The king always improves himself and carefully examines his own conduct in deeds, words and thoughts, trying to discover and listen to public opinion as to whether or not he had been guilty of any faults and mistakes in ruling the kingdom. If it is found that he rules unrighteously, the public will complain that they are ruined by the wicked ruler with unjust treatment, punishment, taxation, or other oppressions including corruption of any kind, and they will react against him in one way or another. On the contrary, if he rules righteously they will bless him: 'Long live His Majesty.' (Majjhima Nikaya)

The Buddha'semphasis on the moral duty of a ruler to use public power to improve the welfare of the people had inspired Emperor Asoka in the Third Century B.C. to do likewise. Emperor Asoka, a sparkling example of this principle, resolved to live according to and preach the Dhamma and to serve his subjects and all humanity. He declared his non-aggressive intentions to his neighbors, assuring them of his goodwill and sending envoys to distant kings bearing his message of peace and non-aggression. He promoted the energetic practice of the socio-moral virtues of honesty, truthfulness, compassion, benevolence, non-violence, considerate behavior towards all, non-extravagance, non-acquisitiveness, and non-injury to animals. He encouraged religious freedom and mutual respect for each other's creed. He went on periodic tours preaching the Dhamma to the rural people. He undertook works of public utility, such as founding of hospitals for men and animals, supplying of medicine, planting of roadside trees and groves, digging of wells, and construction of watering sheds and rest houses. He expressly forbade cruelty to animals.

Sometimes the Buddha is said to be a social reformer. Among other things, He condemned the caste system, recognized the equality of people, spoke on the need to improve socio-economic conditions, recognized the importance of a more equitable distribution of wealth among the rich and the poor, raised the status of women, recommended the incorporation of humanism in government and administration, and taught that a society should not be run by greed but with consideration and compassion for the people. Despite all these, His contribution to mankind is much greater because He took off at a point which no other social reformer before or ever since had done, that is, by going to the deepest roots of human ill which are found in the human mind. It is only in the human mind that true reform can be effected. Reforms imposed by force upon the external world have a very short life because they have no roots. But those reforms which spring as a result of the transformation of man's inner consciousness remain rooted. While their branches spread outwards, they draw their nourishment from an unfailing source -- the subconscious imperatives of the life-stream itself. So reforms come about when men's minds have prepared the way for them, and they live as long as men revitalize them out of their own love of truth, justice and their fellow men.

The doctrine preached by the Buddha is not one based on 'Political Philosophy'. Nor is it a doctrine that encourages men to worldly pleasures. It sets out a way to attain Nibbana. In other words, its ultimate aim is to put an end to craving (Tanha) that keeps them in bondage to this world. A stanza from the Dhammapada best summarizes this statement: 'The path that leads to worldly gain is one, and the path that leads to Nibbana(by leading a religious life)is another.'

However, this does not mean that Buddhists cannot or should not get involved in the political process, which is a social reality. The lives of the members of a society are shaped by laws and regulations, economic arrangements allowed within a country, institutional arrangements, which are influenced by the political arrangements of that society. Nevertheless, if a Buddhist wishes to be involved in politics, he should not misuse religion to gain political powers, nor is it advisable for those who have renounced the worldly life to lead a pure, religious life to be actively involved in politics.

Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera

source:www.budsas.org