By Aung Kyaw Thant
Suttanta, Vinaya and Abhidhamma treatises are based on the preaching of the Lord Buddha more than 2,600 years ago. In fact, all sorts of Lord Buddha’s preachings are the best way to live in society, the best way to cease the vicious cycle, and the best way to discard misdeeds to be able to dodge and prevent dangers in all forms. Actually, the Lord Buddha preached His teachings aimed at saving the living beings and celestial beings from the unavoidable vicious circles.
Although Lord Buddha left His preaching for the sake of humans escaping from the secular world, these preaching items are very useful for human beings in all aspects of society, and these Dhamma items are still modern today.
As such, the most significant points among the teachings of Lord Buddha are chosen for readers to analyze how to utilize and how to follow these points in society as well as in the life cycle of each living being.
Faith in the effects of Kamma
Individuals have to take responsibility and accountability for their acts of doing everything. They do not need to boast about any good deeds that they did, and if they do all misdeeds, they cannot avoid their effects. It is because all the things that they did will reflect them one day.
If they thoroughly understand such a process, they will not follow ways similar to that of other persons who are wealthy in operating inappropriate businesses. Consequently, those individuals will have to settle themselves to steadfastly do all things in the ways that they have chosen. As such, the point on faith in the effects of Kamma can be defined as taking responsibility for themselves.
Accepting the relationship between causes and effects
For more than 2,600 years, Lord Buddha has preached that no one happens without any causes. All things emerge depending on causes and effects. As such, if individuals wish to secure the effects, they shall have to initiate the measures of cause.
For example, individuals who are willing to have computer technologies need to attend computer science courses. If they wish to be wealthy, they have to try hard to earn income. After doing complicated measures, they should not shout aloud if they wish to enjoy peace of mind. If one desires to see a change in any system, one should not just count the beads to pray for the attributes of Lord Buddha. They themselves have to strive to change the systems. In fact, they have to contribute to something that is basic to changing the system.
On the other hand, if one asks fortune tellers for the time of lucky fortunes, in keeping with an astrologer’s advice to avert impending misfortune or put reliance on deeply undefined regalia or spiritual beings, they will not have a chance to claim themselves as authentic Buddhists.
Not upholding extremism
The concept of exercising the middle path does not mean that it does not keep anything on the middle path. Actually, such a concept does not uphold extremism. For example, if individuals encounter plights unnecessarily, it means exercising extremism. Somebody who neglects everything except enjoying sensuality can be identified as an extremist. So, individuals need to avoid these two sides of extremism and live in the middle path.
If individuals carefully consider such a concept, it is useful in all parts of life. For example, if somebody eagerly wishes to be successful, they will not need to embrace anything. If someone has overconfidence to secure success, they may commit wrong ways to ensure victory because of too much emphasis on achieving success by applying fair and unfair ways.
As such, some remarks that a balanced diet, balanced life, and work-life balance should be maintained throughout their lifespans to avoid malpractices and misdeeds they may commit.
Making endeavours
Lord Buddha places a special emphasis on endeavours. The Desana on eight right paths to Nibbana He had preached comprises the Right effort. Those who take responsibility and accept the relationship between causes and effects shall have to make utmost efforts.
In the secular world, everybody needs to try hard to enjoy wealth, fulfil all needs, be healthy, and do meritorious deeds. Even if individuals wish to take meditation, they have to study ways from instructors on how to do it, and they themselves have to do it. If they are inconvenient in the process of meditation, they need to seek the best ways from experienced persons. If so, their method of meditation will gradually be smooth and eased.
Consideration
It is an important matter in Buddhism, but most of the Buddhists are weak in this regard. This is because consideration is directly concerned with the education system. The education system Myanmar youths had passed had primarily emphasized noting down some points in learning, following the teaching, and just learning rather than culturing the practices of critical thinking. Student youths apply their brains in following the teaching and advice of teachers without any creation and critical thinking to do any tests on how to make something, what happens, why it occurs, when it will happen, where it happens and for what it happens. In fact, such a learning system derives from the preaching and teaching of Lord Buddha.
During His term, Lord Buddha preached a large number of Desana and Kalama Suttanta, which was very significant and considerably profound. The theme of such a Suttanta emphasizes that individuals need to accept right and wrong things based on their own critical thinking rather than the urging and talks of others. Everybody needs to criticize, analyze and take anything into consideration before accepting it. If individuals comprehensively understand the theme of the teachings of Lord Buddha, why He gave advice, why He prohibited and why He urged, they will have meaningful thoughts about believing in Buddhism.
Initiation of empathy
Building a prosperous society needs those who have empathy. Actually, the Five Precepts that Buddhists exercise daily are based on empathy and consideration. Hence, it is a practice of physical behaviours and mental practices not to harm others, so such a practice can be defined as a great sacrifice.
As such, everybody, regardless of religion, should not focus on just gaining merit but on keeping empathy in their minds. For example, prohibition on smoking near non-smokers is not involved in the Five Precepts preached by the Lord Buddha. However, if individuals consider whether smoking should be done near non-smokers, from an empathy point of view, they can see a clear answer. Actually, it is based on the public ethics.
Dispersing compassion and loving-kindness
Such a point can often be mentioned by the preaching of members of the Sangha. Compassion, defined as Metta in Pali, emphasizes the attitude of a friend who aspires to the flourishing of interests for one person. Metta, called compassion, can cover others with aspirations for them generally to have good things, all in convenience, happiness, peace and prosperity. Keeping compassion in mind, they lend a helping hand to others, comfort and encourage others. In fact, compassion is based on sympathy, empathy and consideration to look after and help those who embrace plights and poverty. These actions and behaviours are essential for building a peaceful and prosperous society.
Teaching based on mindset
The preaching of Lord Buddha can be called Mind-Centred teaching. The Lord Buddha preached the most detailed analysis of the mind of humans among all religions. Lord Buddha said that all living beings are formed with physical and mental structures. He conducted more analyses on four sorts of minds. He explained that such four kinds of mind are combined with one physical structure to be five aggregates embodying a being. On the one hand, it analyzes the mind.
Lord Buddha preached the Metta Suttanta in detail about the significant points of becoming a person who can really disperse compassion and loving-kindness to all. Waste of mind is not only defied as jealousy and wickedness but also mentioned as malpractice and movements of mind that move to the present, the past, and the future. Moreover, jealousy is a dirty mind. Likewise, lacking shame and fear can be defined as a waste of mind.
Practising meditation or Vipassana actually leads to studying, analyzing, and curing self-consciousness. As such, only when individuals have something special in endeavours related to the mind and any practice over the mind will they have the chance to enjoy enough of the advantages of Buddhists.
Cutting off obsession
Buddhism accepts the vicious circle. Anyone is in a series of life, one after another, before attaining the Nibbana. In fact, being alive means plights. It is because of instability, no ownership, and no right to manage themselves. So, it is no preference. In Buddhism, Nibbana is not an abode, but means it is not renewable and resumption again. Exactly, it means no circling the life. To have such freedom, everybody needs to cut the obsession called excessive carving. So, the Lord Buddha expounded the important teachings, such as the Four Noble Truths and the Law of Cause and Effect, in summary or in detail.
Even though somebody does not wish for the attainment of Nibbana or does not believe in the vicious cycle, they can consider their current life. They can see that calm of mind and mental obsession are in a reverse ratio. They can see that the more obsessive they are, the hotter their minds they have. Everybody can feel nothing when hearing that K100,000 was stolen. But they will lose peace of mind in hearing the information that his K100,000 was stolen. Everybody may obsess about living beings, property and assets, money, ranks and prestige. Whatever they embrace obsession with anything, it is sure that they will face frats. So, those who are willing to have peace of mind need to reduce their obsessions.
Individuals rely on each other to implement some missions and achieve accomplishments. For every mission to be implemented by more than one person, trust must be built between them. If one of the participants violates trust among them, they will face the impacts of disunity and not accomplishing missions. Likewise, violation of trust will fail to missions. Hence, individuals need to avoid violating people’s trust and reliance even though nobody knows their actions. As such, they have to follow prescribed rules and regulations, especially public ethics and religious advice. Nobody should violate religious precepts. If they violate the rule of lie mentioned in the Five Precepts in Buddhism, it will be a crack of collapsing the prestigious structure of life built along the lifespan. Consequently, they never achieve success in any missions.
Everybody can hear or read such ten points, especially expounded by Lord Buddha. Additionally, there may remain something special. But only when the aforesaid points should be exercised in daily routine will they be identified as authentic Buddhists. Regardless of religion and nationality, if everybody can follow the prescription of points described above, human society can enjoy peace and prosperity without fail.
