(C) Correct Judgement
As a rule, it takes a man of integrity and ability to handle a big job successfully
The character aspect having been dealt with in the proceeding chapter, let us
turn to the question of ability, which generally includes education, technical
skill and wisdom. Wisdom is popularly called good sense. One who
is lacking knowledge and skill may offset such deficiencies by securing help
from others, but on the question of judgement, he can depend on no one but himself.
It is only with good understanding of the general working principles, in addition
to being conversant with the conventional ways of the world, that sound judgment
may be formed. To acquire such understanding, however, is by no means an easy
thing; moreover, in the views of Buddhism, such principles, are far from being
reliable criteria to fathom out truth, for more often that not, they can only
lead us to illusion, rather than perceiving the reality of the thing. But if
we have a clear understanding of this fundamental principles of Buddhism, then
and only then, we would be able to see into the reality and to arrive at correct
judgment. Why? As emphatically stressed by Buddhism, if we look at everything
objectively and not from the subjective point of view, and if we are always
in sympathetic accord with sentient being, in response to what comes from the
innermost of their heart, certainly we would be able to apprehend the reality
and the sophisticated ways of the world as clearly as broad daylight. And if
the object under study is well understood, correct judgment, to be true, would
be formed. But the very reason why we cannot perceive reality correctly is this:
Owing to our strong attachment to the ego, in delusion we are blindfolded and
misled by klesa and karma, consequently, the mind gives
rise to fear and perversions; with such a mind, contaminated and obstructed,
it is impossible for us to perceive and understand the truth at all. For illustration,
if in the battle an officer, on hearing a false rumor, was to obsessed with
fear that he was at a loss to judge if the rumor was authentic or not; in this
case, the man simply believed in the rumor but without making correct judgment
at all. In delusion, people who are dominated by greed, anger, arrogance and
stupidity, are used to make wrong judgment. Such incidents are too many and
too common everywhere. In view of this, we may conclude that only those with
right understanding of the Doctrine of Buddhism may take correct judgment, and
only those who make right judgment may be successful in their great accomplishments.