Part I: Basic Principles
A. Skillfulness
The Buddha's teachings, like the principles they describe, are interrelated in
complex ways. It is difficult to point out any one teaching that underlies everything
else, as all the teachings are mutually dependent. Nevertheless, there are a number
of possible entry points into their pattern, and one of those points is the Buddha's
observation that it is possible to master a skill.
Unlike many of his contemporaries -- and many thinkers before and since -- the
Buddha did not try to reason from abstract principles down to direct experience.
As we noted in the Introduction, the Buddha's contemporaries were influenced by
the premier science of their time -- astronomy -- in the way they viewed experience,
and it is easy to see prejudices derived from astronomy at work in their thought:
that the universe is composed of discrete bodies acting in line with regular,
linear causes; and that human knowledge of these processes has no impact on the
way they behave. These prejudices, when applied to human experience, resulted
in what the Buddha called theories of being, or what we today would call theories
of order: that the processes of the universe can be totally explained in terms
of physical principles that follow linear causal patterns unaffected by human
intervention. The various conclusions that developed out of this approach differed
primarily in how one's soul -- viewed in various ways either as a discrete thing
or as a more abstract principle -- was to look for release from this vast cosmic
machine. Some insisted that action was illusory; others, that action was real
but totally determined by fixed rules, serving only to bind one to the impersonal
cycle.
In reaction to the theories of being, the Lokayatans proposed a theory of non-being
or absolute chaos that, like all reactionary ideologies, was defined largely by
what it denied. Although it admitted the primacy of the physical universe, it
denied that any causal laws operated on the observable, human level. Everything,
the Lokayatans said, was totally spontaneous, random, and chaotic. No personal
souls were observable, and thus human identity was composed only of the temporary
conjunction of elements that made up the body, terminating when those elements
separated at death.
In a manner typical of his approach to problems, the Buddha avoided both sides
of this argument by focusing directly on the level of immediate experience and
exploring the implications of truths that both sides overlooked. Instead of fixing
on the content of the views expressed, he considered the actions of those who
were expressing the views. The logic either of total determinism or of total chaos
must end in the conclusion that purposeful action is pointless, and yet adherents
of both schools continued to act in purposeful ways. The fact that each side advanced
an interpretation of reality implied that both agreed that there were skillful
and unskillful ways of approaching the truth, for each insisted that the other
used unskillful forms of observation and argumentation to advance its views. Thus
the Buddha looked directly at skillful action in and of itself, worked out its
implications in viewing knowledge itself as a skill -- rather than a body of facts
-- and found that those implications carried him all the way to release.
We have already touched on how implications drawn from the fact of skillful action
shaped the major outlines of the Buddha's teachings. It will be useful to review
those implications here. To begin with, the fact that skills can be developed
implies that action is not illusory, that it actually gives results. Otherwise,
there would be no such thing as skill, for no actions would be more effective
than others. The fact of skillfulness also implies that some results are preferable
to others, for otherwise there would be no point in trying to develop skills.
In addition, the fact that it is possible to learn from mistakes in the course
of developing a skill, so that one's future actions may be more skillful, implies
that the cycle of action, result, and reaction is not entirely deterministic,
and that acts of perception, attention, and intention can actually provide new
input as the cycle goes through successive turns.
The important element in this input is attention. Anyone who has mastered a skill
will realize that the process of attaining mastery requires attention to three
things: (1) to pre-existing conditions, (2) to what one is doing in relation to
those conditions, and (3) to the results that come from one's actions. This threefold
focus enables one to monitor one's actions and adjust them accordingly. In this
way, one's attention to conditions, actions, and effects allows the results of
an action to feed back into future action, thus allowing for refinement in one's
skill. By working out the implications of these requirements, the Buddha arrived
at the principle of this/that conditionality, in which multiple feedback loops
-- sensitive to pre-existing conditions, to present input, and to their combined
outcome -- account for the incredible complexity of the world of experience in
a way similar to that of modern theories of "deterministic chaos." In
this sense, even though this/that conditionality may seem somewhat alien when
viewed in the abstract, it is actually a very familiar but overlooked assumption
that underlies all conscious, purposeful action. The Buddha simply explored the
implications of this assumption much further than anyone else, all the way to
the disbanding of space, time, and the present, together with their inherent stress.
These implications of the fact of skillfulness account for the main framework
of the Buddha's doctrine as expressed in the teachings on the four noble truths,
dependent co-arising, and this/that conditionality. Other facets of skillful action
also account for more detailed points within this framework. For instance, the
Buddha's exploration of stress and its origination, in the light of skillful action,
provided the analysis of mental and physical events ("name-and-form,"
nama-rupa) that plays a central role in the second noble truth as expressed in
terms of dependent co-arising. The first lesson of skillfulness is that the essence
of an action lies in the intention motivating it: an act motivated by the intention
for greater skillfulness will give results different from those of an act motivated
by greed, aversion, or delusion. Intention, in turn, is influenced by the appropriateness
or inappropriateness of the act of attention to one's circumstances. The less
an act of attention is clouded by delusion, the more clearly it will see things
in appropriate terms. The combination of attention and intention in turn determines
the quality of the feeling and the physical events that result from the act. The
more skilled the action, the more refined the feelings and physical events that
result. Perceptions arise with regard to those results, some more appropriate
than others. The act of attention selects which ones to focus on, thus feeding
back into another round in the cycle of action, with all its inherent instabilities
and uncertainties. Underlying the entire cycle is the fact that all its factors
are in contact with consciousness. This constellation of factors came to form
the central causal connection in one of the Buddha's most basic formulations of
dependent co-arising, in which the mutual dependence of "name" (attention,
intention, feeling, perception, and contact) and "form" (physical events)
on the one hand, and consciousness on the other, accounts for the arising of all
stress [§§218, 228].
The interplay of name, form, and consciousness also plays a role in the formulation
of the third and fourth noble truths, providing an answer to the quandary of how
the stress and suffering inherent in the cycle of action can be ended. If one
tried simply to stop the cycle through a direct intention, the intention itself
would count as a factor to keep the cycle going. This double bind can be dissolved,
however, if one can watch as the contact between consciousness and the cycle naturally
falls away. This possibility requires, not an attempt at inaction, but even greater
skillfulness in all the factors of action. Convinced that the only way to true
happiness would be to find a way out of the cycle, that there had to be such a
way, and that this was it, the Bodhisatta developed each of the factors of skillful
action to an even higher degree of skill. The most skillful form of attention,
he discovered, was to view all of experience in terms of the four noble truths:
stress, its origination, its cessation, and the path of practice leading to its
cessation. These truths not only formed his most basic teaching [§188], but
also played a role in the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress,
as the factor of right view. The most skillful form of intention was to engage
in the directed thought and evaluation that would lead the mind to the stillness
of mental absorption. These factors played a role both as aspects of the path
factor of right concentration and as the highest form of the path factor of right
resolve [§106]. The most refined forms of feeling and perception were the
feelings of pleasure and equanimity and their accompanying levels of perception
in the highest states of mental absorption [D.9; §164], later included in
the path factor of right concentration as well [§102].
The Wings to Awakening -- as alternate expressions of the path to the cessation
of stress -- are also shaped by the implications of the fact of skillfulness.
These implications account directly for the main factors in the Wings -- the qualities
of equanimity, concentration, and discernment that are needed to develop skillfulness
-- and indirectly for all the other qualities on which these qualities depend.
As expressed in the non-linear pattern of this/that conditionality, these implications
also account for the way in which the factors in the Wings must act as supports
for one another in a pattern of mutual feedback. And, in the most general terms,
the fact that skillfulness leads ultimately to a dimension where skillfulness
is transcended, accounts for a paradoxical dynamic common to all seven sets that
form the Wings: the meditator must intentionally make use of qualities from which
he/she wants to escape, gaining familiarity with them in the course of mastering
them to the point where they are naturally stilled. There the transcendent paths
and their fruitions take over. This is the sense in which even the path of right
practice must eventually be abandoned, but only after it has been brought to the
culmination of its development. Many people have misunderstood this point, believing
that the Buddha's teachings on non-attachment require that one relinquish one's
attachment to the path of practice as quickly as possible. Actually, to make a
show of abandoning the path before it is fully developed is to abort the entire
practice. As one teacher has put it, a person climbing up to a roof by means of
a ladder can let go of the ladder only when safely on the roof. In terms of the
famous raft simile [§§113-114], one abandons the raft only after crossing
the ocean. If one were to abandon it in mid-ocean, to make a show of going spontaneously
with the flow of the ocean's many currents, one could drown.
When the factors of the path are mutually brought to a state of consummation,
however, there occurs a point of equipoise called "non-fashioning" (atammayata)
[§179], in which their contact with consciousness -- still fully conscious
-- naturally becomes disengaged. One modern teacher has compared this disengagement
to that of a fruit naturally falling, when fully ripened, from the tree. This
is how the cycle of action is brought to an end. And, as the Buddha discovered,
this is how all experience of stress, suffering, and the entire cosmos conditioned
by time and the present can be brought to an end as well, leaving the limitless
freedom of "consciousness without feature" [§235], the endpoint
of all human striving.
Thus we can say that the Dhamma -- in terms of doctrine, practice, and attainment
-- derives from the fully explored implications of one observation: that it is
possible to master a skill. This point is reflected not only in the content of
the Buddha's teachings, but also in the way they are expressed. The Buddha used
many metaphors, explicit and implicit, citing the skills of craftsmen, artists,
and athletes to illustrate his points. The texts abound with explicit similes
referring to acrobats, archers, bathmen, butchers, carpenters, farmers, fletchers,
herdsmen, musicians, painters, etc., pointing out how their skills correspond
either to the way the mind fashions stress and suffering for itself, or to the
skills a meditator needs to develop in order to master the path to release. On
the implicit level, the passages dealing with meditation are filled with terms
derived from music theory. In his younger days as a prince, the Bodhisatta --
like other young aristocrats of his time -- was undoubtedly a connoisseur of the
musical arts, and so was naturally familiar with the theory that lay behind them.
Because the terminology of this theory is so pervasive in the teachings he formulated
as a Buddha, it will be useful to discuss it here briefly.
Unfortunately, we do not have a full treatise on the theory of musical performance
as practiced during the Buddha's time, but there are enough references to music
scattered through the texts for us to sketch the outlines of that theory. The
first step in performance was to tune one's instrument, "establishing"
one's tonic note (literally, "base," thana) to make it on-pitch ("even,"
or sama), then to fine-tune or attune ("ferret out" or "penetrate")
the remaining notes (again, "bases") of the scale in relation to the
tonic. This required a great deal of skill, sensitivity, and some mathematical
knowledge, as the well-tempered scale had not yet been developed, and many different
ways of calculating the scale were in use, each appropriate to a different emotion.
The musician then picked up the theme (nimitta) of the composition. The theme
functioned in several ways, and thus the word "theme" carried several
meanings. On the one hand it was the essential message of the piece, the image
or impression that the performer wanted to leave in the listener's mind. On the
other hand, it was the governing principle that determined what ornamentation
or variations would be suitable to the piece.
These musical terms recur throughout the Buddha's discussion of meditation [§§66,
74, 86, 150, 161, etc.]. For instance, in one context the Buddha says that one
should establish one's persistence to the right pitch, attune the remaining faculties
to that pitch, and then pick up one's theme. In other contexts, he says that one
should become attuned to a particular theme, or that one should develop meditation
in tune with a particular object. Impossibilities are said to be "non-base,"
analogous to tones that cannot function as musical notes. There are enough passages
to show that the Buddha used this terminology conscious of its musical connotations,
and that he wanted to make the point that the practice of meditation was similar
to the art of musical performance. We should thus try to be sensitive to these
terms and their implications, for the comparison between music and meditation
is a useful one.
In the most general sense, this comparison underlines the fact that the knowledge
needed for release from suffering is the same sort as that involved in mastering
a skill -- a continued focus on the present, a sensitivity to one's context, one's
own actions, and their combined consequences, rather than a command of an abstract
body of facts. To develop the path is to become more and more sensitive to the
present -- in particular, more sensitive to one's own sensitivity and its consequences.
This is similar to the way in which a musician must learn to listen to his/her
own performance, a process that ultimately involves listening to the quality of
one's listening itself. The greater one's sensitivity in listening, the more profound
one's performances become. In the same way, the greater one's sensitivity to one's
own mind in the development of skillful qualities, the more one abandons the causes
of suffering and realizes its cessation.
In addition to this general observation, the comparison between music and meditation
highlights a number of practical points in the development of meditative skill.
First, it underscores the need for flexibility and ingenuity in the practice,
tempered by an awareness of the limits of how far that flexibility can go. A skilled
musician in the Buddha's time had to master not one but many tuning systems so
as to handle a full range of musical themes, while simultaneously knowing which
ways of tuning were unworkable. In the same way, a skilled meditator should know
of many valid ways of tuning the mind to the theme of its meditation -- and should
have a command of them all so as to deal with various contingencies as they arise
-- but at the same time must be aware that some varieties of meditation simply
do not lead to Awakening. In this light, the seven sets of the Wings to Awakening
can be viewed as the Buddha's complete list of workable systems for tuning the
mind. (There is evidence suggesting that seven is the number of musical tuning
systems (gramaraga) recognized in the Buddha's time.) The implication here is
that any path of practice deviating from these systems would be like an instrument
tuned to a discordant scale, and would not be in harmony with the way of the contemplative
(samana) who aims at a life in tune (sama) with the Dhamma.
A second point is that the musical analogy makes vivid the need for balance in
meditative practice, a lesson that appears repeatedly in the texts [§§66,
86, 97, 161]. Just as a musical instrument should neither be too sharp nor too
flat, the mind on the path has to find a balance between excessive energy and
excessive stillness. At the same time, it must constantly watch out for the tendency
for its energy to slacken in the same way that stringed instruments tend to go
flat. The "rightness" of right view and other factors of the path thus
carries the connotation not only of being correct, but also of being "just
right."
A third point is that this analogy helps clarify passages in the texts that speak
of attaining the goal without effort [§62]. Taken out of context, these passages
seem to contradict or totally negate the many other passages that focus on the
need for effort in the practice. Viewed in context of the music analogy, however,
they make perfect sense. Like a musical virtuoso, one develops skill to the point
where it becomes effortless, but the perfection of the skill does not negate the
fact that it took a great deal of effort to reach that level of mastery.
In fact, the Buddha's path is a meta-skill -- the full art or science of skillfulness,
in and of itself -- in which one focuses on the mind as the source of what is
skillful and unskillful, learns to deal skillfully with unskillful states of mind,
then to deal more skillfully even with skillful states to the point of focusing
not on the skill, but on the skill of acquiring a skill, so that one ultimately
sees what lies both in the skillfulness and beyond [§61].
* * *
The passages included in this first section cover three themes: (1) how the distinction
between what is skillful and not is fundamental to the practice; (2) how to determine
what is skillful and not; and (3) how to become skillful in developing skillful
states of mind. Because these issues are so basic, the passages are fairly self-explanatory.
However, they have a few facets that are easy to overlook.
First, it is important to note that the definition of skillful states of mind
as free of greed, aversion, and delusion, provides a convenient rule of thumb
for distinguishing between intentions that are merely good and those that are
actually skillful. Sometimes good intentions are colored by ignorance, as when
one tries to help another person without knowing the true source of that person's
problem. This would qualify as a good but not a skillful intention. As we have
noticed, the processes of causality are sensitive and complex. Thus there is no
getting by on well-meaning intentions alone. One must monitor one's actions continually
to make sure that they are, in fact, appropriate to the present situation, and
are not based on ignorance. Delusion, even well-meaning delusion, is a source
for unskillful acts. For this reason, one needs to be constantly observant of
one's actions and their effects [§6] so that one's good intentions can truly
become skillful, and one's actions can actually do justice to the specific conditions
in the here and now produced by the process of this/that conditionality.
Second, the distinction between skillful and unskillful provides an insightful
explanation for the causes for good and evil behavior. This distinction is not
limited to the values of any particular society, and it avoids the issue of whether
beings are inherently good or bad. When people act in evil ways, it is because
they lack skill in the way they think; when they think in skillful ways, they
naturally will do good. Because skill is something that can be acquired, the way
to goodness is open for all people who want to be good, no matter how badly they
have behaved in the past. The Canon tells of people who had committed misdeeds
and, upon realizing their mistakes, confessed them to the Buddha. The most striking
instance was King Ajatasattu [D.2], who had killed his father in order to secure
his position on the throne. In spite of the gross nature of the deed, the Buddha
approved of the king's confession, and -- instead of playing on any feelings of
guilt the king might have had -- encouraged him in his determination to mend his
ways, adding that it is a cause for progress in the noble way if one realizes
one's mistakes as such and resolves not to repeat them. Thus it is always possible
to make a fresh start in life, aware of one's past bad kamma and resolving to
mend one's ways, unburdened with any feelings that one might be inherently unworthy
or bad.
Third, it is important to note the two basic factors, internal and external, that
enable one to tell what is skillful and unskillful. The main internal factor is
"appropriate attention," [§53] which is well illustrated in §1.
One learns to view one's thoughts objectively, without partiality, in terms of
their actual consequences. As this factor develops from a sense of conviction
in the principle of kamma [§§9-17], it turns into the ability to view
all of experience in terms of the four noble truths [§51]. The main external
factor is friendship with admirable people [§54], defined as those who live
by the principle of kamma. From their teachings, one can learn the advisability
of trying to develop skillfulness in the first place; in their behavior, one can
see skillfulness in action. These internal and external factors reinforce one
another, in that skillful attitudes lead one to seek out admirable people to begin
with, and admirable people lead one by word and example to see the less obvious
advantages of skillful attitudes. Fortunately, every human being alive has some
skillful qualities in his or her mind, as well as access to people who are admirable
on at least some level. Thus no one consciously starting on the Buddhist path
is starting from scratch. Rather, each person is advised to make the most of opportunities
that have already been present and to search for further opportunities to develop
the mind in a skillful direction.
The two prerequisites for skillfulness are amplified in §2. The discourse
from which this passage comes -- the Discourse to the Kalamas -- is often referred
to as the Buddha's charter of free inquiry, because of the emphasis it lays on
seeing the truth for oneself, without reliance on outside authority. This interpretation,
however, misses one of the important clauses in the discourse, where the Buddha
says that one must take note of what wise people censure and praise. In other
words, one must check one's own perceptions against those of people of upright
character and solid experience, for until one gains Awakening, one's perceptions
are bound to be partial and biased. This is why the Buddha says [§115] that
friendship with admirable people -- which begins with the ability to recognize
admirable people -- is the whole of the life of practice.
The interaction between appropriate attention and friendship with admirable people
in mastering skillful mental qualities is well-illustrated in §6. This passage,
in which the Buddha shortly after his Awakening is instructing his seven-year-old
son (who was born just before Prince Siddhattha left home), shows very explicitly
how one develops appropriate attention by reflecting on the consequences of one's
actions before, while, and after acting. If one realizes, after acting, that what
looked like a proper action before and while acting actually turned out to have
unfavorable consequences, one should confess the mistake to one's experienced
friends on the path. This allows one to benefit from their counsel and also to
make public one's resolve not to make the same mistake again. In this way, although
one is responsible for treading the path oneself, one can benefit from the wisdom
and encouragement of those already familiar with the way.
Passages from the Pali Canon
§ 1. Before my self-awakening, when I was still just an unawakened Bodhisatta,
the thought occurred to me: 'Why don't I keep dividing my thinking into two
classes?' So I made thinking imbued with sensuality, thinking imbued with ill
will, & thinking imbued with harmfulness one class, and thinking imbued
with renunciation, thinking imbued with non-ill will, & thinking imbued
with harmlessness another class.
And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with
sensuality arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with sensuality has arisen
in me; and that leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of others or
to the affliction of both. It obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, &
does not lead to Unbinding.'
As I noticed that it leads to my own affliction, it subsided. As I noticed that
it leads to the affliction of others... to the affliction of both... it obstructs
discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding, it subsided.
Whenever thinking imbued with sensuality had arisen, I simply abandoned it,
destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence. (Similarly with thinking
imbued with ill will & harmfulness.)
Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that becomes
the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with
sensuality, abandoning thinking imbued with renunciation, his mind is bent by
that thinking imbued with sensuality. (Similarly with thinking imbued with ill
will & harmfulness.)
Just as in the last month of the Rains, in the autumn season when the crops
are ripening, a cowherd would look after his cows: He would tap & poke &
check & curb them with a stick on this side & that. Why is that? Because
he foresees flogging or imprisonment or a fine or public censure arising from
that [if he let his cows wander into the crops]. In the same way I foresaw in
unskillful qualities drawbacks, degradation, & defilement, and I foresaw
in skillful qualities rewards related to renunciation & promoting cleansing.
And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with
renunciation arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with renunciation has
arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction
of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment, promotes lack
of vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think & ponder in line
with that even for a night... even for a day... even for a day & night,
I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that thinking &
pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is tired, the mind
is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.' So I steadied
my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it. Why is that?
So that my mind would not be disturbed. (Similarly with thinking imbued with
non-ill will & harmlessness.)
Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that becomes
the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with
renunciation, abandoning thinking imbued with sensuality, his mind is bent by
that thinking imbued with renunciation. (Similarly with thinking imbued with
non-ill will & harmlessness.)
Just as in the last month of the hot season, when all the crops have been gathered
into the village, a cowherd would look after his cows: While resting under the
shade of a tree or out in the open, he simply keeps himself mindful of 'those
cows.' In the same way, I simply kept myself mindful of 'those mental qualities.'
Unflagging persistence was aroused in me, and unmuddled mindfulness established.
My body was calm & unaroused, my mind concentrated & single. Quite withdrawn
from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, I entered &
remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied
by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed thought
& evaluation, I entered & remained in the second jhana: rapture &
pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought
& evaluation -- internal assurance. With the fading of rapture I remained
in equanimity, mindful & alert, and physically sensitive of pleasure. I
entered & remained in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare,
'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.' With the abandoning
of pleasure & pain -- as with the earlier disappearance of elation &
distress -- I entered & remained in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity
& mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.
When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement,
pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it
to the knowledge of recollecting my past lives. I recollected my manifold past
lives, i.e., one birth, two... five, ten... fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a
hundred thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion,
many eons of cosmic contraction & expansion: 'There I had such a name, belonged
to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience
of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state,
I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had
such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain,
such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.' Thus
I remembered my manifold past lives in their modes & details.
This was the first knowledge I attained in the first watch of the night. Ignorance
was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose -- as happens
in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement,
pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it
to the knowledge of the passing away & reappearance of beings. I saw --
by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human -- beings passing
away & re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior & superior,
beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma:
'These beings -- who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech & mind,
who reviled the Noble Ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the
influence of wrong views -- with the break-up of the body, after death, have
re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms,
in hell. But these beings -- who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech,
& mind, who did not revile the Noble Ones, who held right views and undertook
actions under the influence of right views -- with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.'
Thus -- by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human -- I
saw beings passing away & re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior
& superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance
with their kamma.
This was the second knowledge I attained in the second watch of the night. Ignorance
was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose -- as happens
in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement,
pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it
to the knowledge of the ending of the mental effluents. I discerned, as it was
actually present, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress...
This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation
of stress... These are effluents... This is the origination of effluents...
This is the cessation of effluents... This is the way leading to the cessation
of effluents.' My heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, was released from the effluent
of sensuality, released from the effluent of becoming, released from the effluent
of ignorance. With release, there was the knowledge, 'Released.' I discerned
that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing
further for this world.'
This was the third knowledge I attained in the third watch of the night. Ignorance
was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose -- as happens
in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
-- M.19
§ 2. As they were sitting to one side, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to
the Blessed One, 'Venerable sir, there are some priests & contemplatives
who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as
for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt
for them, & disparage them. And then other priests & contemplatives
come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for
the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for
them, & disparage them. They leave us simply uncertain & doubtful: Which
of these venerable priests & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and
which ones are lying?'
'Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are doubtful. When there
are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't
go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by conjecture, by inference,
by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the
thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves
that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy;
these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when undertaken
& carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" -- then you should
abandon them...
'How do you construe this, Kalamas? When greed arises in a person, does it arise
for welfare or for harm?'
'For harm, lord.'
'And this greedy person, overcome by greed, his mind possessed by greed: Doesn't
he kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife,
tell lies, and induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm
& suffering?'
'Yes, lord.'
(Similarly for aversion & delusion.)
So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?'
'Unskillful, lord.'
'Blameworthy or blameless?'
'Blameworthy, lord.'
'Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?'
'Criticized by the wise, lord.'
'When undertaken & carried out, do they lead to harm & to suffering,
or not?'
'When undertaken & carried out, they lead to harm & to suffering...'
'...Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture,
by conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views,
by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher."
When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are skillful; these
qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities,
when undertaken & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness"
-- then you should enter & remain in them.
'How do you construe this, Kalamas? When lack of greed arises in a person, does
it arise for welfare or for harm?'
'For welfare, lord.'
'And this ungreedy person, not overcome by greed, his mind not possessed by
greed: He doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another
person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for
long-term welfare & happiness -- right?'
'Yes, lord.'
(Similarly for lack of aversion & lack of delusion.)
So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?'
'Skillful, lord.'
'Blameworthy or blameless?'
'Blameless, lord.'
'Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?'
'Praised by the wise, lord.'
'When undertaken & carried out, do they lead to welfare & to happiness,
or not?'
'When undertaken & carried out, they lead to welfare & to happiness...'
-- A.III.65
§ 3. Now what is unskillful? Taking life is unskillful, taking what is
not given... sexual misconduct... lying... abusive speech... divisive tale-bearing...
idle chatter is unskillful. Covetousness... ill will... wrong views are unskillful.
These things are termed unskillful.
And what are the roots of unskillful things? Greed is a root of unskillful things,
aversion is a root of unskillful things, delusion is a root of unskillful things.
These are termed the roots of unskillful things.
And what is skillful? Abstaining from taking life is skillful, abstaining from
taking what is not given... from sexual misconduct... from lying... from abusive
speech... from divisive tale-bearing... abstaining from idle chatter is skillful.
Lack of covetousness... lack of ill will... right views are skillful. These
things are termed skillful.
And what are the roots of skillful things? Lack of greed is a root of skillful
things, lack of aversion is a root of skillful things, lack of delusion is a
root of skillful things. These are termed the roots of skillful things.
-- M.9
§ 4. The Tathagata, the Worthy one, the Rightly Self-awakened One has two
Dhamma discourses given in sequence. Which two? 'See evil as evil.' This is
the first Dhamma discourse. 'Having seen evil as evil, become disenchanted with
it, dispassionate toward it, freed from it.' This is the second Dhamma discourse...
...See evil
Be dispassionate toward evil.
With a mind dispassionate toward evil
You will make an end of stress.
-- ITI.39
§ 5. Abandon what is unskillful, monks. It is possible to abandon what
is unskillful. If it were not possible to abandon what is unskillful, I would
not say to you, 'Abandon what is unskillful.' But because it is possible to
abandon what is unskillful, I say to you, 'Abandon what is unskillful.' If this
abandoning of what is unskillful were conducive to harm and pain, I would not
say to you, 'Abandon what is unskillful.' But because this abandoning of what
is unskillful is conducive to benefit and pleasure, I say to you, 'Abandon what
is unskillful.'
Develop what is skillful, monks. It is possible to develop what is skillful.
If it were not possible to develop what is skillful, I would not say to you,
'Develop what is skillful.' But because it is possible to develop what is skillful,
I say to you, 'Develop what is skillful.' If this development of what is skillful
were conducive to harm and pain, I would not say to you, 'Develop what is skillful.'
But because this development of what is skillful is conducive to benefit and
pleasure, I say to you, 'Develop what is skillful.'
-- A.II.19
§ 6. The Buddha: How do you construe this, Rahula: What is a mirror for?
Rahula: For reflection, sir.
The Buddha: In the same way, Rahula, bodily acts, verbal acts, & mental
acts are to be done with repeated reflection.
Whenever you want to perform a bodily act, you should reflect on it: 'This bodily
act I want to perform -- would it lead to self-affliction, to the affliction
of others, or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily act, with painful consequences,
painful results?' If, on reflection, you know that it would lead to self-affliction,
to the affliction of others, or to both; it would be an unskillful bodily act
with painful consequences, painful results, then any bodily act of that sort
is absolutely unfit for you to do. But if on reflection you know that it would
not cause affliction... it would be a skillful bodily act with happy consequences,
happy results, then any bodily act of that sort is fit for you to do.
(Similarly with verbal acts & mental acts.)
While you are performing a bodily act, you should reflect on it: 'This bodily
act I am doing -- is it leading to self-affliction, to the affliction of others,
or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily act, with painful consequences, painful
results?' If, on reflection, you know that it is leading to self-affliction,
to affliction of others, or both... you should give it up. But if on reflection
you know that it is not... you may continue with it.
(Similarly with verbal acts & mental acts.)
Having performed a bodily act, you should reflect on it... If, on reflection,
you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to
both; it was an unskillful bodily act with painful consequences, painful results,
then you should confess it, reveal it, lay it open to the Teacher or to a knowledgeable
companion in the holy life. Having confessed it... you should exercise restraint
in the future. But if on reflection you know that it did not lead to affliction...
it was a skillful bodily act with happy consequences, happy results, then you
should stay mentally refreshed & joyful, training day & night in skillful
mental qualities.
(Similarly with verbal acts.)
Having performed a mental act, you should reflect on it... If, on reflection,
you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to
both; it was an unskillful mental act with painful consequences, painful results,
then you should feel horrified, humiliated, & disgusted with it. Feeling
horrified... you should exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection
you know that it did not lead to affliction... it was a skillful mental act
with happy consequences, happy results, then you should stay mentally refreshed
& joyful, training day & night in skillful mental qualities.
Rahula, all the priests & contemplatives in the course of the past who purified
their bodily acts, verbal acts, & mental acts, did it through repeated reflection
on their bodily acts, verbal acts, & mental acts in just this way.
All the priests & contemplatives in the course of the future... All the
priests & contemplatives at present who purify their bodily acts, verbal
acts, & mental acts, do it through repeated reflection on their bodily acts,
verbal acts, & mental acts in just this way.
Therefore, Rahula, you should train yourself: 'I will purify my bodily acts
through repeated reflection. I will purify my verbal acts through repeated reflection.
I will purify my mental acts through repeated reflection.' Thus you should train
yourself.
That is what the Blessed One said. Pleased, Ven. Rahula delighted in the Blessed
One's words.
-- M.61
§ 7.
The non-doing of any evil,
the performance of what's skillful,
the cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
Not disparaging, not injuring,
restraint in line with the Patimokkha,
moderation in food,
dwelling in seclusion,
commitment to the heightened mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
-- DHP.183, 185