Lesson Twelve: Buddhist Living

A man named Dighajanu once visited the
Buddha and said: "Venerable Sir, we are
ordinary laymen, leading the family life with
wife and children. Would the Blessed One teach
us some doctrines which will conduce to our
happiness in this world and hereafter.".

The Buddha told him that four things were
conducive to a man's happiness in this world:

1. He should be skilled, efficient, earnest, and
   energetic in the profession he is engaged,
   and he should know it well.


2. He should protect his income earned
   righteously.


3. He should have good friends who are
   faithful, learned, virtuous, liberal and
   intelligent, who will help him along the right
   path away from evil.


4. He should live within his means.

As for the four virtues conducive to a man's
happiness. hereafter, the Buddha expounded
that:

1. He should have faith and confidence in
   moral, spiritual and intellectual values
   (Saddha)


2. He should observe his Five Precepts (Sila)


3. He should practice charity, generosity,
   without attachment and craving for his
   wealth (Caga)


4. He should develop wisdom which leads to
   the complete destruction of suffering to the
   realization of Nibbana (Panna)

To Anathapindika, the millionaire, the Buddha
spoke about the four kinds of happiness of a
layman. The first happiness is to enjoy
economic security acquired through righteous
means; the second is spending that wealth
liberally on himself, his family, his friends and
relatives, and on meritorious deeds; the third is
to be free from debts; and the fourth happiness
is to live a faultless, and a pure life without
committing evil in thought, word or deed.

Note that the first three kinds of happiness are

economic. The Buddha also reminded the

millionaire that economic and material

happiness is not worth one sixteenth part of the

spiritual happiness arising out of a faultless and

good life.

One can see that the Buddha considered

economic welfare as important for a man's

happiness, but that he did not recognize mere

material progress as true advancement if

devoid of a spiritual and moral foundation.

While encouraging material progress, Buddhism

always laygreat stress on the development of

the moral and spiritual character for a happy,

harmonious and contented society.

5.Journey To Enlightenment

Ways of practice

The seeker of Enlightenment must understand

and follow the three ways of practice: First,

disciplines for practicalbehavior(Sila); second,

right concentration of themind (Samadhi); and

third, wisdom (Panna). When analyzed, the

three ways of practice reveal the Eightfold Path.

What are disciplines? Every man, whether he is

a common man or a way-seeker, should follow

the precept for good behavior. He should

control both his mind andbody andguard the

gates of his five senses. He should be afraid of

performing even a trifling evil and, from

moment to moment, should endeavor to

practiceonly good deeds.

What is meant by the concentration of mind? It

is to get away quickly from greedy and evil

desires as they arise and to hold the mind pure

and tranquil.