●[Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo]The Craft of the Heart
The Service for the Lunar Sabbath
Before taking the precepts, first pay respect to the Triple Gem — the Buddha, the Dhamma (the Truth he taught), and the Sangha (those of his followers who attained that Truth) —
Araham samma-sambuddho bhagava
The Blessed One is Worthy & Rightly Self-awakened
Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi
I bow down before the Awakened, Blessed One.
(bow down)
Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One.
Dhammam namassami
I pay homage to the Dhamma
(bow down)
Supatipanno bhagavato savaka-sangho
The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has practiced well.
Sangham namami
I pay respect to the Sangha.
(bow down)
Now the group will chant the standard morning service. If you don't know it, simply remain silent. When the group has finished, it will chant the request for the precepts in unison. Again, if you don't know it, remain silent. The request for the five precepts is as follows:
Mayam bhante ti-saranena saha pa?ca silani yacama
Venerable sir, we request the five precepts together with the Three Refuges.
Dutiyampi mayam bhante... yacama
A second time...
Tatiyampi mayam bhante... yacama
A third time...
The request for the eight uposatha precepts:
Mayam bhante ti-saranena saha atthanga-samannagatam uposatham yacama
Venerable sir, we request the eight-factored uposatha observance together with the Three Refuges.
Dutiyampi mayam bhante... yacama
A second time...
Tatiyampi mayam bhante... yacama
A third time...
Then repeat the phrase paying homage to the Buddha:
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma-sambuddhassa (three times)
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One.
And then the phrases for taking refuge in the Triple Gem:
Buddham saranam gacchami
I go to the Buddha for refuge.
Dhammam saranam gacchami
I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
Sangham saranam gacchami
I go to the Sangha for refuge.
Dutiyampi buddham saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Buddha for refuge.
Dutiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
Dutiyampi sangham saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Sangha for refuge.
Tatiyampi buddham saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Buddha for refuge.
Tatiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
Tatiyampi sangham saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Sangha for refuge.
This finished, the monk who is officiating will say, Ti-sarana-gamanam nitthitam ("The taking of the three refuges is now completed"). You say, Ama, bhante (Yes, sir). Now repeat the precepts after him (translations are given below):
1. Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
2. Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
3. Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
(If you are taking the eight precepts replace this with:
Abrahma-cariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami)
4. Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
5. Sura-meraya-majja-pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
(If you are taking the five precepts, stop here. If you are taking the eight precepts, continue:
6. Vikala-bhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
7. Nacca-gita-vadita-visuka-dassana mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
8. Uccasayana-mahasayana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
If you are taking the uposatha precepts, the monk will announce the duration of the uposatha period. Repeat after him:
Imam atthanga-samannagatam
Buddha-pa??attam uposatham
Ima?ca rattim ima?ca divasam
Sammadeva abhirakkhitum samadiyami
(which means: I undertake to maintain, perfect and pure for today and tonight, this uposatha observance formulated by the Buddha and composed of eight factors.)
The monk will counsel heedfulness and announce the rewards of observing the precepts:
Imani attha sikkhapadani accekam rattin-divam uposathasila-vasena sadhukam rakkhitabbani
(These eight training rules are to be well maintained for the entire day & night of the Uposatha period.)
(you say, Ama bhante (Yes, sir.)) The monk will continue:
Silena sugatim yanti silena bhoga-sampada silena nibbutim yanti tasma silam visodhaye
Through virtue they go to heaven.
Through virtue wealth is attained.
Through virtue they go to liberation Thus we should all purify our virtue.
This ends the taking of the precepts.
* * *
The precepts translated are as follows:
1. I undertake the training rule to refrain from taking life.
2. To refrain from stealing.
3. To refrain from illicit sex. (This is for those who are taking the five precepts. The precept, Abrahma-cariya..., for those taking the eight precepts, forbids all forms of sexual intercourse.)
4. To refrain from speaking falsehood.
5. To refrain from taking intoxicants.
6. To refrain from eating food during the period from noon until the following dawn.
7. To refrain from watching shows (e.g., dancing, singing, instrumental music) and from ornamenting the body with flowers, scents, cosmetics, or jewelry.
8. To refrain from using high and luxurious beds and seats. "Luxurious" means having a stuffed cushion or mattress. "High" means more than ten inches high. Armchairs and couches with arms, however, even if they are more than ten inches high, are not prohibited by this precept.
* * *
The precepts, whether five or eight, have two foundations. In other words, for them to be broken, they must be transgressed by either (1) the body in conjunction with the mind, or (2) speech in conjunction with the mind. A precept transgressed unintentionally with a bodily action is nevertheless still intact. Say, for instance, you cut a tree or gather flowers to place on an altar, and it so happens that the insects living in the tree or flower stem die. You had no idea they were there in the first place. In this case, your precepts are still intact because you had no intention in mind for them to die. As for verbal acts, suppose that you speak hurriedly, and what you end up saying is different from what you had meant to say, out of either carelessness or inattention. For example, you meant to say three words, but ended up saying four; you meant to tell the truth, but what you actually said was false. Since it was simply a verbal act, and you didn't have it in mind to speak misleadingly, your precepts are still intact.
A breach of the ten guidelines can be effected with one of as many as three factors: the body in conjunction with the mind, speech in conjunction with the mind, or the mind acting alone. In other words, a transgression of any sort in thought, word, or deed has to be intentional for there to be a breach in one's virtue, because the intention — the will to abstain (cetana-virati) — forms the essence of virtue. This can be checked against any of the various precepts. Intention is the essence of virtue; aspects of virtue apart from that intention are simply its expressions and applications.
The intention that qualifies as virtue is the will to abstain in line with the five or eight precepts. As for the precepts, they give expression to the intention, while the rules that detail exactly what actions are forbidden by the various precepts indicate the scope of its application. Virtue is normalcy. Normalcy and right equilibrium in word and deed is expressed by the five precepts and eight uposatha precepts. Normalcy and right equilibrium in thought, word, and deed is expressed by the ten guidelines.
The statement that intention is the essence of virtue is supported by the passage in the Canon where the Buddha says,
cetanaham bhikkhave kammam vadami
The intention, monks, is what I maintain to be action.
* * *
Virtue, as practiced by Buddhists in general, can be summarized into three categories: hina-sila, gocara-sila and anagocara-sila.
1. Hina-sila means simply obeying the precepts. For instance, the first precept tells you not to kill, so you hope to gain merit by looking out for the lives of others, not causing them to die. The second precept tells you not to steal, so you hope to get some good out of taking care of the possessions of others, not causing them to disappear. The third precept rules out illicit sex, so you go around looking out for other people's spouses and children. The fourth precept rules out lying, so you go around looking after other people's ears by not putting lies in them. The fifth precept rules out alcohol, so you do your part for other people's liquor bottles by not making them go empty. The same holds true for the other precepts. Practicing virtue in this way is tantamount to being a watchman for other people's goods. You put yourself on the level of a slave or hired cow-hand. Whether you observe the five or even the eight precepts, this is classed as the lowest level of virtue, or as silabbatupadana, attachment to external forms of goodness.
2. Gocara-sila means making sure that the mind occupies itself only with good intentions, such as thinking of ways to act that will be wise and meritorious. Whether your thoughts deal with the past or the future, with visual objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, or ideas, you are careful to keep them in line with wise intentions, not letting them fall into ways that are corrupt or ill-considered.
3. Anagocara-sila means keeping the mind in the present, not letting it wander among distracting thoughts. You are mindful and alert, keeping watch over the mind so that it stays exclusively in the present. This is virtue — when virtue reaches a state of normalcy — the sort of virtue worthy of heaven and nibbana.
The virtue that is careful not to break the precepts can counter the cruder forms of greed. The virtue that guards the mind's train of thought, keeping it from traveling in the area of shoddy intentions, can do away with anger and aversion. The virtue that enters into the present — i.e., virtue in a state of normalcy — can do away with delusion. Thus we can say that virtue can do away with the cruder forms of defilement, i.e., certain levels of greed, anger, and delusion.
* * *
To continue with the service for the lunar sabbath: Now you have the opportunity to hear a sermon. The request for a sermon is as follows:
Brahma ca lokadhipati sahampati
kata?jali andhivaram ayacatha
santidha sattapparajakkha-jatika
desetu dhammam anukampimam pajam
(The Brahma Sahampati, lord of the world,
With hands palm-to-palm before his heart
[approached the Lord Buddha and] requested a blessing:
There are beings here with only a little dust in their eyes.
Please teach the Dhamma out of compassion for them.)
Now compose your thoughts and keep them fixed on absorbing the nourishment of the Dhamma. Once the sermon is finished, you may proclaim yourself to be a lay adherent of the Buddha, as follows:
Aham buddha?ca dhamma?ca sangha?ca saranam gato
I have gone to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha for refuge.
Upasakattam desesim bhikkhu-sanghassa samukkha
I have declared my adherence in the presence of the Bhikkhu Sangha.
Etam me saranam khemam
Etam saranam-uttamam
This is my secure refuge,
This is my highest refuge
Etam saranam-agamma
Sabba-dukkha pamuccaye
This is the refuge, having gone to which,
One is released from all suffering & stress.
Yatha-balam careyyaham
Samma-sambuddha-sasanam
I will follow, as well as I am able
The teachings of the Rightly Self-awakened One
Dukkha-nissaranasseva
Bhagi assam anagate
So that in the future I will have a part
Of the escape from suffering & stress.
(Women should substitute gata for gato, upasikattam for upasakattam, and bhaginissam for bhagi assam.)
The Pali word for adherent, upasaka (fem. upasika), literally means "one who is close." There are ten qualities looked for in adherent: five activities to be refrained from and five qualities to possess. The five to be refrained from are:
1. selling weapons,
2. selling human beings,
3. selling animals to be killed for food, or the flesh of animals that one has killed oneself,
4. selling intoxicants,
5. selling poison.
The five qualities to possess:
1. conviction,
2. observance of the precepts,
3. belief in nothing but the principle of kamma — that those who do good will meet with good, those who do evil will meet with evil,
4. an unwillingness to look for merit in ways excluded by the Buddha's teachings,
5. performance of merit in ways particular to the Buddha's teachings.
To possess these qualifications means by definition that one is an adherent to generosity, virtue, and meditation.
* * *
Now that the service is over, you should take the opportunity to develop peace and respite of mind. Don't let the day go to waste. Take the word buddho as your meditation exercise. To be intent on repeating the word buddho in your mind is one form of concentration (samadhi). Discernment (pa??a) means thorough comprehension of all fashioned and conditioned things. The value of discernment is that it abandons all forms of defilement. Virtue, concentration, and discernment: These qualities form the heart of the Buddha's message, which we should all try to develop to the best of our abilities.
Now we will pose a number of questions dealing with virtue and concentration as a way of further elaborating on these topics.
* * *
Virtue: Questions & Answers
1. What are the benefits of observing the precepts? What are the drawbacks of not observing them?
2. What is meant by virtue?
3. How many kinds of virtue are there?
4. What is the essence of virtue?
5. What is needed for virtue to be maintained?
1. To answer the first question: People observing the precepts can perceive the following benefits as far as this lifetime is concerned: They are not distrusted or despised by people at large; they can enter with confidence into the company of sages and people in general. After they die, they are sure to qualify for rebirth on the human plane at the very least. For these reasons, virtuous people are not willing to let their virtue be defiled.
Another answer is that virtuous people are admired throughout the world. Why is this so? Because no one in the world likes abuse, not even the least little bit. Not to mention good people, even thieves and robbers complain about people who have no principles, as when they get together to commit a robbery: The members of the band are sure to find fault with each other because of the hardships involved in what they're doing. Still, they go ahead and do it, out of their own ignorance, stupidity, and lack of judgment.
Another answer is that people who observe the precepts work for the prosperity of this world and the next. Most of us overlook this aspect of virtue. Wrong looks right to us, and we think that observing the precepts retards progress, that people who observe the precepts are old-fashioned and behind the times, or that the precepts make it impossible to earn a living. All of these views have no basis in truth. Exactly how do the precepts retard progress? Consider this carefully: The nature of the world is that not a single person likes to suffer. Even common animals don't set their sights on pain. So to be virtuous means not to ruin the world, but to protect it and help it advance. When the Buddha established the precepts, he did so not merely in line with his own opinions, but rather in line with the ways and opinions of people throughout the world. How can we know that this is so? We needn't ask the Buddha himself; we can consider the matter on our own:
(a) Take a simple example, like killing: Fishermen make their living by killing, and some of them end up making money by the fistfuls from it. Still, they complain about the hardships of their work and sometimes they even fall in the ocean and drown. The fact that they complain about their work shows they don't like it. As for the fish, they don't like it either. Even gnats and mosquitoes don't like being abused. So why do we abuse them? Because we haven't associated with wise people. We see the harm and the pain, yet we still go ahead and do it out of our own darkness and delusion. This is one example to show that the Buddha established the precepts in line with the views of the world.
Example (b): Stealing, Is there anyone in the world who likes it? If the world liked stealing, there probably wouldn't be laws forbidding it — and what human society doesn't have such laws? The fact that we have these laws shows that we don't like stealing. Even things about to be stolen don't like to have people steal them. Animals, for instance, when they're cornered by thieves, will try to run away. Thieves and robbers usually complain that their work is hard — always having to lurk and keep out of sight, going without food and sleep. The fact that they complain shows that they don't like their work. So why do they do it? Because they haven't associated with wise people. Wrong looks right to them because of their own darkness and delusion.
Example (c): Adultery. Who in the world likes it? Go ask those who do it, and they'll complain that they suffer from it. Ask those who are done to, and they'll complain that they suffer from it and don't like it. Sometimes they end up killing themselves. This shows that the world doesn't care for it. So why do people do it? Because they haven't associated with wise people. Wrong looks right to them, and so they bring about the ruin of the world. They get fined or put in jail, and get into difficulties with their families, knocking one another over the skull just for the fun of it. To do wrong in this way will bring tears to a parent's eyes and ears, and trouble to the hearts of the authorities. These are things that bring about the ruin of the world.
Example (d): Lying. Is there anyone in the world who likes it? When a person is lying, he has to be wary out of fear that others will find him out. When he's about to lie, he suffers in trying to figure out how to get away with it. Once he's lied, he suffers out of fear that no one will believe him. A person who is lied to has to question and cross-examine, out of fear that what he's heard may not be true. Even small children don't like to be lied to. Say that a child is crying for its mother, and its father lies to it, saying, "There — your mother's coming." When it doesn't see its mother, it'll cry without stopping. Why? Because it can't trust its father. But not to mention human beings, even animals don't like to be lied to. Say that we take some cooked rice and lure a dog with it. Once it sees the rice, it'll think we're going to feed it, so it comes prancing up with its rear high and its tail wagging — but instead of feeding it, we take the rice and run off. If we do this three or four times, after that it probably won't come, because it knows we're lying. This shows that no one likes lies. So why do people lie? Because they haven't associated with wise people. Wrong looks right to them, and so they cause the world to degenerate.
Example (e): Alcohol. There is one who likes the drinking of alcohol. People who brew it complain of their difficulties: that it's a losing business, that they're afraid they'll be seen by the police or cheated by their customers. People who drink alcohol complain that it makes them dizzy, or that it eats up their salaries and leaves them poor. I have yet to hear anyone extol drinking as a way to health, wealth, and happiness. If people who drink really thought it were good, they probably wouldn't come back to drinking plain old water or eating plain old food again. Once people get drunk, they start acting rowdy and disgusting in ways that people in general neither praise nor admire. Even their own families get disgusted with them, and they themselves complain that they're in debt or don't have enough money to spend, which shows that they themselves don't like or admire their habit.
In some places the government, acting out of concern for the public well-being, has established laws to prevent the damages that come from the drinking of alcohol. (I personally have wondered whether the money the government makes from taxing alcohol is enough to cover the damages caused by people who drink. I doubt that it is, but this is simply my own opinion. You might want to consider the matter for yourself. One common example is when people get together to drink — either legal whiskey or bootleg — and get to talking: One bottle of whiskey, and maybe one of them ends up killed. The pittance the government gets from the bottle of whiskey is probably nowhere near enough to pay for the costs of tracking down the guilty parties in a case like this.)
发表于 2014-5-27 15:08:21