Lesson Eleven: The Unlosable Treasure-
Store (Part 2) - Sila and Bhavana
The practice of the Five Precepts lies in your hand
Regard tho se who regularly break the Five
Precepts with the same disapproval as those
who do not brush their tee th, take their
baths on sweltering and humid days, or
change their dirty clothes. If human society
could do this, it would be on its way of
evolving a perfect civilization. Unfortunately,
society not only tolerates those who
break the rules but encourages them.
The man who boasts of his conquests
with women is not condemned except by
husbands whose marriages he has broken
up. Lying is acce pted fr om the highest
diplomatic circles to the petty shopkeeper
who adjusts his prices to his customer's
appearances. Killing is considered an
admirable skill in hunting, fishing, and
shooting circles. If th eft is done on a bi g
scale and successfully, it becomes
respectable.
Morality in a country or society tends to be
tied to its interest and codes of law. An
action is right so long as it does not break
the law. But these man-made codes, unlike
universal moral codes, are flexible.
An Englishman who had killed a German in a
time of peace will be charged under the Penal
Code and punished accordingly. Had he
killed the sameman and many, many more in
the Second World War, he would not only
have been hailed as a national hero but would
also have been awarded a medal for his valor.
Sure enough, it may be argued that in the
second instance, the Englishman is acting in
his country’s interest. But such man-made
standards which are found in every country,
can offer no reliable guide to some universal
principles of morality.A. Sila (Buddhist Morality)Buddhist morality is not the invention of human
minds. Neither is it based on tribal ethics which
are gradually being replaced by humanistic
codes. It is based on the universal law of cause
and effect. An action is 'good' or 'bad' according
to the manner it affects oneself andothersAll
other criteria are misleading. An actionwhich
causes physical or mental pain to another being
cannot be interpreted as a good one, evenif it
is to one's benefit.Lay Buddhist morality as embodied in the Five
Precepts may be considered at two levels.
Firstly, it enables men to live together in
civilized communities with mutual trust and
respect. Secondly, it is the starting pointfor the
spiritual journey towards Liberation. It was the
second aspect that the Buddha emphasized.Since speech and bodily actions originate in the
mind, it is intention or cetana which has to be
examined. In Buddhism, a person's first duty is
to cleanse himself of the mental defilements of
greed, hatred and delusion (Lobha, Dosa, and
Maha). And this is not done out of fear or desire
to please some divine beings. The up-rooting of
these mental defilements, the source of all anti-
social acts, will bring great benefits to others in
the society as well as to oneself.