Now
we have found out the eight minimum precepts needed to practice
Bhavana. And the question arises, if we undertake these eight
precepts, will we be able to successfully practice Bhavana? Or we
need to undertake more precepts? The answer is yes. Then what are
those precepts we have to undertake more than the eight precepts?
Before
going into the question, let us examine the 10 Great sins or Bad
Karmas to be avoided, together with the eight precepts.
Quote.
.................
.................
7. "Householders, there are three kinds of bodily conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct. There are four kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct. There are three kinds of mental conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.
8.
"And how are there three kinds of bodily conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct?Here someone is a
killer of living beings: he is murderous, bloody-handed, given to
blows and violence, and merciless to all living beings. He is a
taker of what is not given: he takes as a thief another's
chattels and property in the village or in the forest. He is given
over to misconduct in sexual desires: he has intercourse with
such (women) as are protected by the mother, father, (mother and
father), brother, sister, relatives, as have a husband, as entail a
penalty, and also with those that are garlanded in token of
betrothal. That is how there are three kinds of bodily conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.
9.
"And how are there four kinds of verbal conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct?Here someone
speaks falsehood: when summoned to a court or to a meeting, or to
his relatives' presence, or to his guild, or to the royal family's
presence, and questioned as a witness thus, 'So, good man, tell what
you know,' then, not knowing, he says 'I know,' or knowing, he says
'I do not know,' not seeing, he says 'I see,' or seeing, he says 'I
do not see'; in full awareness he speaks falsehood for his own ends
or for another's ends or for some trifling worldly end. He speaks
maliciously: he is a repeater elsewhere of what is heard here for
the purpose of causing division from these, or he is a repeater to
these of what is heard elsewhere for the purpose of causing division
from those, and he is thus a divider of the united, a creator of
divisions, who enjoys discord, rejoices in discord, delights in
discord, he is a speaker of words that create discord. He speaks
harshly: he utters such words as are rough, hard, hurtful to
others, censorious of others, bordering on anger and unconducive to
concentration. He is a gossip: as one who tells that which is
unseasonable, that which is not fact, that which is not good, that
which is not the Dhamma, that which is not the Discipline, and he
speaks out of season speech not worth recording, which is unreasoned,
indefinite, and unconnected with good. That is how there are four
kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma,
unrighteous conduct.
10.
"And how are there three kinds of mental conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct?Here someone is
covetous: he is a coveter of another's chattels and property thus:
'Oh, that what is another's were mine!'
Or
he has a mind of ill-will, with the intention of a mind affected
by hate thus: 'May these beings be slain and slaughtered, may
they be cut off, perish, or be annihilated!'
Or
he has wrong view, distorted vision, thus: 'There is nothing given,
nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit and ripening of good
and bad Kammas, no this world, no other world, no mother, no father,
no spontaneously (born) beings, no good and virtuous monks and
brahmans that have themselves realized by direct knowledge and
declare this world and the other world.' That is how there are three
kinds of mental conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma,
unrighteous conduct.
..............
..............
translated
from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera
End
Of Quote.
So
if we compare those 10 great sins (Karmas) or bad actions with that
of Eight precepts, i.e.:-
1.
I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not
given.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual activity.
4.
I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect (false) speech.
5.
I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs
which lead to carelessness.
6. I undertake the precept to refrain
from eating at the forbidden time (i.e., after noon).
7. I undertake
the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see
entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the
body with cosmetics.
8. I undertake the precept to refrain from lying
on a high or luxurious sleeping place.
precepts
1, 2, 3, 4 accords with the 10 great sins (Karmas) or bad actions.
You may notice that except for the fourth precepts of "refraining
from incorrect (false) speech.", which relates to the verbal
action, all other precepts relates to bodily actions.
Then
three of the four Bad Karma in great sins, in speech, are not
included as precepts, as one have to abandon them while practicing
Bhavana gradually, if those actions of speech has become an habit.
They are:-
A.
malicious speech. B. harsh speech. C. gossiping.
A
real practitioner of Bhavana would discover himself, that these type
of activity is an hindrance to the practice, giving rise to a lot of
thinking, while in the practice, and hence would add these as further
abstinence by himself.
Then
there are other three great sins (Karmas) or Bad actions related to
the mind. Therefore, they cannot be made as precepts to be followed,
but one has to restrain or abstain from them to overcome them. The
practice of Bhavana is meant for such an overcoming of the mental
constrains, hence in the course of practice one would find them as
hindrances to the practice and therefore would abstain from those
type of thinking, without, as well as in the practice as well. And
these are the 'mind' related hindrances in relation to distractive
thinking, when one tries to pay attention to the breathing. They
are:-
A.
Covetousness. B. Having ill-will. C. Having wrong view.
All
the three above one has to find in the Bhavana practice itself, and
gradually overcome them. Before gaining Samadi, one would find that
the 'Covetousness' and 'ill-will' as a mind hindrances to be overcome to
gain the Samadi. One would overcome the 'wrong views', once one
overcomes Covetousness, ill-will, etc., thus enabling Samadi. With
the Samadi attained, one would have overcome the fundamental
erroneous views, and will have 'right view', i.e Samma Dhitti.
This
Samma Dhitti, i.e. Right View attained is different from the initial
Right View one has, when beginning the Bhavana practice, which is the
opposite view of the 'wrong view', presented in the Sutta above. The
'wrong view' is according to the above Sutta is:-
There
is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit and
ripening of good and bad Kammas, no this world, no other world, no
mother, no father, no spontaneously (born) beings, no good and
virtuous monks and brahmans that have themselves realized by direct
knowledge and declare this world and the other world.
To
the contrary to the 'wrong view' above the 'Right view' is stated as
below in the same Sutta is:-
There
is what is given and what is offered and what is sacrificed, and
there is fruit and ripening of good and bad kammas, and there is this
world and the other world and mother and father and spontaneously
(born) beings, and good and virtuous monks and brahmans that have
themselves realized by direct knowledge and declared this world and
the other world.
This
'Right view' or 'Wrong View' above forms a belief, not an actual
experience. The above 'Right View' is known as Pruthagjana Samma
Dhitti or lay followers right view. But When one attains to the
Samadi, by practicing Bhavana, the 'Right View' one gains is an
actual experience, which is the practitioners Right View. Hence,
there are two types of 'Right view', namely Pruthagjana Samma Dhitti
and Ariyan Samma Dhitti, meaning a lay followers right view and a
practitioners right view. In the Practitioners Right view, he sees
the Mind as it is. He knows and sees how suffering can be overcome.
That is, he sees and knows, once he attained the Samadi, that,
1.
There is sufferings and it is in the mind. 2. There are reasons for
sufferings and they are in the mind as well. 3. He understands that
Sufferings can be overcome and he experiences the overcoming to some
extent. 4. Since he has overcome the suffering to some extent, he
knows the path of overcoming the suffering.
Such
a person, who has the Ariayan Samma Dhitti, will embark on the path
leading to the ultimate goal of Enlightenment, Nibbana.
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