B. Right Action (Samma Kammanta)
Action is twofold; what we do and what we
refrain from doing. Right Action aims at
promoting moral, honorable and peaceful
conduct. We should refrain from destroying life,
from stealing, from dishonest dealings, from
illegitimate sexual intercourse, from intoxicants,
and we should help others to lead a peaceful and
honorable life (the Five Precepts).
In the fullest sense, Right Action means to
perform deeds which do not cause suffering to
oneself and others.
Evil deeds are caused by ignorance, coupled with
craving and anger. By gradually eliminating these
defilements from the mind, a person will not be
inclined to kill or steal. A pure mind is the
fountainhead of a pure life.
C. Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva)
Right Livelihood is to avoid occupations, hobbies,
or trades which cause or lead to suffering to
oneself and others. Our guiding principle is to
work for the happiness of others and not for
their sorrow. Some of these wrong professions
are trading in arms and lethal weapons,
intoxicating drinks, poisons, killing animals,
cheating, trading in human beings.
Buddhism is opposed to any kind of war when it
lays down that trading in arms and lethal
weapons is an evil and unjust means of livelihood.
Some people justify their maintaining of such
wrong occupations by saying that these are
performed to earn a living. The fact that these
occupations are for earning a livelihood do not
make extorting, killing, or drug-pushing and
other such activities less unwholesome.
Sometimes as aresult of his past bad Kamma,
conditions encourage a person to pursue a
wronglivelihood. In other words, due to past
actions it is easier for him to pursue an
unwholesome livelihood than a wholesome one,
such as having to take over a father's butcher
business, being born into a community of thieves
or a gambling den, keeping company with people
who go hunting for 'fun'. But no one is fated to
land in a particular occupation. With effort and
determination, he can resist the temptation of
taking the path ofleast resistance and strive to
seek ways on how he can pursue a wholesome
livelihood.Through understanding the Dhamma, it is
possible for a person to move from the darkness
of spiritual blindness to the light of spiritual
illumination.These three factors-Right Speech, Right Action
and Right Livelihood -of the Eightfold Path
constitute morality. The Buddhist ethical and
moral conduct aims at promoting harmony and
happiness for the life of the individual and
society. Morality also forms the indispensable
foundation for all higher spiritual attainments.3 .SAMADHI (MENTAL DISCIPLINE)The heart of Buddha's message does not deal
with something strange or oldfashioned. It deals
with what is common to all humanity, with what
is ever fresh and young. It deals with something
nearer to us than the hair on our head and the
nails on our fingers. It deals with the human
mind.Samadhi meaning mental discipline or mental
culture contains three other factors of the
Eightfold Path: namely, Right Effort, Right
Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.5