BUDDHISM -THE WAY TO PEACE AND HAPPINESS

Monday, May 6, 2013

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards 1

The golden Buddhist's life standards make harmony for oneself and others.
This layman's code of discipline = (gihi-vinaya) organize social relationships
so that they produce a society of happy being and beings... :-)

Law 1: Avoid the 14 kinds of Wrong Behaviour:

A. Refraining from the 4 actions that defile mentality (kammakilesa):
1: Killing, violence, harming, breaking, or taking of any life (pānātipāta).
2: Stealing, theft, misappropriation, and violating property rights (adinnādāna).
3: Sexual misconduct such as adultery and paedophilia (kāmesumicchācāra).
4: Speaking false, lying, misleading, deceiving, and pretending (musāvāda).

B. Desisting from the 4 kinds of badly twisted behaviour (agati):
5: Biased and skewed behaviour based on desire, lust, and greed (chandagati).
6: Biased and skewed behaviour based on anger, hate, and opposition (dosagati).
7: Biased and skewed behaviour based on fear, anxiety, and timidity (bhayagati).
8: Biased and skewed behaviour based on ignorance, confusion, and doubt (mohagati).

C. Avoiding the six channels leading to ruin apāya-mukha, lit: The mouth of the downfall:9: Being addicted to drinking alcohol and/or taking drugs.
10: Always revelling in party, nightlife, and careless company.
11: Being restlessly bent on empty entertainments and amusements.
12: Being addicted to gambling, betting, and gaming.
13: Associating with evil friends.
14: Being chronically lazy.

Source:A constitution for Living. Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life.
Ven. P.A. Payutto. Buddhist Publication Society 2007: BP 620S http://www.bps.lk
cid:image006.jpg@01CE4127.2C735910

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards 1

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards 3!

Law 3: Maintain good and sound social relations in all 6 directions:
1st direction: How should Children behave towards Parents and Parents behave towards children?
Children should honour their parents by:
1. Having been raised by them, one looks after them in return.
2. One helps them in their business and work.
3. One continues & maintains the family line.
4. One conducts oneself as is proper for an heir.
5. After their death, one makes offerings, dedicating the merit to them.
Parents should help their children by:
1. Cautioning and protecting them from evil.
2. Nurturing and training them in goodness.
3. Providing a suitable and proper education.
4. Seeing to it that they obtain suitable spouses.
5. Bequeathing the inheritance to them at the right time.

2nd direction: How should Students behave towards Teachers and Teachers behave towards students?
Students should respect their teachers by:
1. One rises to greet the teacher when he arrives and shows respect towards the teacher.
2. One approaches the teacher to attend & serve, to consult, to query & to receive advice.
3. One listens well & pay full undivided attention so as to gain complete understanding.
4. One performs any practical task and runs errands for the teacher.
5. One learns the subject earnestly, giving this task of learning right priority.
Teachers should support his students by:
1. Teaching and training them to be good and skilful.
2. Guiding them to thorough & penetrating understanding.
3. Teaching the subject in full, holding nothing back.
4. Encouraging and praising the student's qualities and abilities.
5. Providing learning that both can make a living & induce behaviour entailing happy prosperity.

3rd direction: How should Husband behave towards Wife and Wife behave towards Husband?
A husband, one should honour and support the wife by:
1. One honours her in accordance with her status as a wife.
2. One does not disparage, criticize, undervalue or belittle her.
3. One does not commit adultery with any other women.
4. One gives her control of & responsibility for all the household affairs.
5. One gives her occasional gifts of ornaments and clothing.
A wife supports her husband by:
1. Keeping the household clean, proper and tidy.
2. Helping the relations and friends of both family sides.
3. Not committing adultery with any other men.
4. Safeguarding any wealth that has been acquired.
5. Being energetic and enduring in all her works.

4th direction: How should Friend behave towards Friend?
A real friend maintains his friendships by:1. He shares with them.
2. He speaks kindly to and about them.
3. He helps them whenever needed.
4. He is constant & faithful despite their ups and downs.
5. He is understanding and sincere.
Friends then reciprocate by:
1. Protecting their friend when he is off guard.
2. Protecting their friend's property when one is off guard.
3. Being a safe refuge and shelter in times of danger.
4. Not desert or leave their good friend in times of need.
5. Respecting all their friend's family and relations.

5th direction: How should Employer behave towards employees, and Employees towards employer?
1. The Employer assigns the work in accordance with the workers strength, sex, age, and abilities.
2. He pays them wages compatible with their work and adequate for their livelihood.
3. He grants them fringe benefits and provides medical care in times of sickness.
4. He shares with them a portion of any special profits that may arise.
5. He gives them appropriate holidays and suitable time to rest.
The Employee helps the employer by:
1. Starting work before the employer.
2. Stopping work after the employer.
3. Taking only what is given by his employer.
4. Doing the job well and always seeking ways to improve on it.
5. Spreading a good reputation about the employer and his business.

6th direction: How should the lay Buddhist behave towards monks and nuns, and they towards him?
The Lay Buddhist honours and respects the ordained Sangha by:
1. He acts towards them in goodwill.
2. He speaks to them with goodwill.
3. He thinks of them with goodwill.
4. He receives them willingly.
5. He supports them with the four requisites of almsfood, robes, shelter and medicine.
All Monks and nuns help the lay people by:
1. Protecting them from evil actions which inevitably produces painful consequences.
2. Encouraging them in goodness, which inevitably produces pleasurable consequences. .
3. Assisting them in all activities with kind intentions.
4. Making known to them the things they have not heard before.
5. Enhancing and clarifying those things they have already heard.
6. Pointing out the way to heaven, & teaching them the way to happy prosperity here & now.

Source:A constitution for Living. Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life.
Ven. P.A. Payutto. Thailand. Buddhist Publication Society 2007: BP 620S http://www.bps.lk
Sound Ethics make Harmony. On these golden Buddhist Life Standards:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_1.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_3.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_4.htm

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards 3

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Who & How are the 7 types of Noble Persons?

The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Monks, there are seven types of noble persons existing in the world. What seven?

1: The one freed both ways (ubhato-bhāga-vimutta),
2: The one freed by understanding (paññā-vimutta),
3: The direct experience body-witness (kāya-sakkhī),
4: The one having won view and vision (ditthippatta),
5: The one freed by faith (saddhāvimutta),
6: The follower of Dhamma (dhammānusārī),
7: The follower of faith (saddhānusārī).

And how, monks, is the person freed Both Ways?As to this, monks, some person is dwelling, having directly experienced with both body and
mind those peaceful mental releases, which are formless, and having seen by understanding
all his mental fermentations are utterly eliminated. He is freed both ways and has done
what should be done! He can therefore never become negligent ever again...
And how, monks, is the person freed by Understanding?As to this, monks, some person is dwelling, without having directly experienced with both body
and mind those peaceful mental releases, which are formless, yet having seen by understanding
all his mental fermentations are utterly destroyed. He is freed by understanding and has done
what should be done. He can therefore never become negligent ever again...
And how monks, is the person who is a Body-Witness?As to this, monks, some person is dwelling, having indeed directly experienced with both body
and mind those peaceful mental releases, which are formless, yet having seen by understanding
only some of his mental fermentations are fully annihilated. He is a body-witness and he has still
something to do. If he trains hard, lives remote with good friends, & balances his mental abilities,
then he may realise here & now, by his own super-knowledge, that matchless goal of the Noble
Life for which young men of good family go forth into homelessness, entering into and remaining
in it, he might dwell in the bliss of that sublime fruit...
And how monks, is the person who has Won View and Vision?As to this, monks, some person is dwelling, without having directly experienced with both body
and mind those peaceful mental releases, which are formless, but having seen by understanding
only some of his mental fermentations are utterly eradicated. However, those things explained
by the Tathāgata are fully understood & fully practised by him. He has won view & vision, but
has still something to do. If he trains hard ... then he might come to dwell in the sublime fruit.
And how monks, is the person who is Freed by Faith?As to this, monks, some person is dwelling, without having directly experienced with both body
and mind those peaceful mental releases, which are formless, but having seen by understanding
only some of his mental fermentations are utterly eradicated. But his faith in the Tathāgata is
settled, fixed, genuine, & established. This, monks, is called a person, who is Freed by Faith, but
he has still something to do. If he trains hard ... then he might come to dwell in the sublime fruit.
And how monks, is the person who is Striving for and following after Dhamma?As to this, monks, some person is dwelling, without having directly experienced with both body
and mind those peaceful mental releases, which are formless, and although having seen some by
understanding his mental fermentations are not yet utterly destroyed! Furthermore: All those
things explained by theTathāgata are still only moderately approved of and practiced by him...
However, he possesses the ability of faith, energy, awareness, concentration, & understanding!
This, monks, is called the person, who is striving for Dhamma, but he has still something to do.
If he trains hard ... then he might come to dwell in the sublime fruit.
And how monks, is the person who is Striving for and following after Faith?As to this, monks, some person is dwelling, without having directly experienced with both body
and mind those peaceful mental releases, which are formless, and although having seen some by
understanding his mental fermentations are not yet utterly destroyed, but he has enough faith
in the Tathāgata, enough affection for the Buddha to develop his mental ability of faith, energy,
awareness, of concentration, & of understanding. This, monks, is called the person, who is striving
out of Faith, but he has still something to do. If he trains hard ... then he will come to dwell in the
supreme fruit in the future.

I, monks, do not say that the attainment of profound knowledge suddenly comes straightaway!
Gaining final knowledge is achieved gradually through steady progress by study, and meditation..
Source: Majjhima Nikāya 70. May this Way by our one-pointed effort become swift!

The Noble Person Shines Uniquely of Pure Good!

More on Buddhist Personality Classification:http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Human_Types.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_7_Persons.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Nine_Supremes.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Four_Personalities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Ideal_Person.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_9_Supremes_Explained.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4_Persons_similar_to_Trees.htm

The 7 Nobles...

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards 4!

Law 4: Helping all beings achieve their advantageous goals!One should help oneself, one should help others and one should help both oneself and others...
Helping oneself will develop one's life towards progress, prosperity, and happiness.
Helping others by inducing and encouraging them to develop their lives, gives same benefits.
Helping oneself and others creates a mutual goal and advantage for both parties.
This collective benefit, leads to happiness and virtue of the community & society.
An example is environmental conditions, which we all should help create and conserve
in order to help both ourselves and others to a happy & better future.
Helping all people is joining in constructively creating a social harmony and unity...
Helping all beings is expanding this gentle and subtle harmony universally!
The Four Principles for Help:
1. Dāna: Giving and sharing (helping through money and material goods).
2. Piyavāca: Kind, friendly & polite speech (helping through words & explanation).
3. Atthacariyā: Helpful bodily action (helping attaining goals through physical effort).
4. Samānattatā: Participation & assistance (helping with collective construction & problem solving).

The 3 Levels of Goals:

1. First level: Present benefits to be seen & utilized here and now (ditthadhammikattha):
a) Having good health, a strong body, freedom from disease, pleasant appearance, and long life.
b) Having work and income, honest livelihood, and economic self-reliance.
c) Having good status, being of good standing in the community.
d) Having a happy family worthy of admiration & respect.

2. Second level: Religious goals for further advantages (samparāyikattha):
a) Warmth, deep appreciation and happiness through faith of having a true ideal.
b) Pride in having a clean life, in having done only morally irreproachable deeds.
c) Gratification in a worthwhile life, in having made sacrifices and done much good.
d) Courage & confidence by having understanding to deal with problems & guide own & other's life.
e) Security and freedom from worry in having done good as an investment for the future life.

3. Third level: The absolute and ultimate Goal (paramattha):
a) Not wavering in face of common vicissitudes and inevitable changes.
b) Not being depressed, despaired, or distressed because of clinging to attachments.
c) Being assured, secure, calm, clear, cheerful, and mentally buoyant at all times.
d) Living and acting with wisdom, which looks rationally at all causes and conditions.
e) Approaching Nibbāna - the deathless element - the highest bliss - the final peace - the highest goal

One who is able to attain the second level of goals & upwards is known as a wise man (pandita).

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards 4!

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

What does Perfectly Self-Enlightened Mean?

The Blessed Buddha once said this:

Those who do not understand Suffering
Who do not know how Suffering comes into being,
Nor where Suffering ceases without remaining trace!
Who do not know this Noble Way & unique Method,
Which leads straight to stilling of all Suffering!
They are indeed lacking all mental release;
They are neither released through understanding;
Thus Incapable of making an end, stranded, helpless,
They tumble on in birth, aging and eternal decay...
But those who do understand this Suffering,
Who also know Craving as The Cause of Suffering,
And where Suffering ceases completely,
Who understand This Noble Way and Method,
Which leads straight to The End of all Suffering!
They are endowed both with mental release;
And also released through understanding!
Being thus ready and able of making an end,
They stop tumbling on in birth, aging & decay...

It is because one all alone has fully awakened to these 4 Noble Truths as
they really & actually are, that the Tathagata is called a worthy Arahat,
is called a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, is called a SammāSamBuddha...
Therefore, Bhikkhus, an effort should be dedicated to really understand: All t his is Suffering! An effort should be made much of to truly comprehend:
Craving is the Cause of Suffering! An effort should be cultivated to realize:
No Craving is the End of Suffering! Effort should be made to break through,
reinforce, and develop: This Noble 8-fold Way which Ceases all Suffering...

Comments:
Only a SammāSamBuddha can rediscover & teach these Four Noble Truths!

Source (edited extract):The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. [V:433]
section 56: Saccasamyutta. Thread 22-3: Kotigāma & Perfectly Enlightened ...

Perfectly Self-Enlightened!

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards

Law 2: Choose only True Friends & Prudent Money Planning:
A. Choosing only good people as true friends will make life constructive!
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How to recognize the 4 kinds of false imitating friends (mitta-patirūpaka)?
I. The habitual cheater who only takes from friends, has four features:
1. He thinks only of getting and rarely of giving
2. He gives only little when in the hope of getting much.
3. Only when he is pressed in danger does he help his friend.
4. He imitates friendliness only to promote his own advantage.

II. The smooth talker has four features:
1. He talks only of what is already done & now gone.
2. He talks only of what has not yet come.
3. He offers only help that has no true effect.
4. When his friend needs a hand, he then makes many excuses.

III. The empty flatterer has four features:
1. He agrees even, when his friend is doing some wrong.
2. He also agrees, when his friend is doing right.
3. He sings only his beguiling praises, when the friend is present.
4. He runs him down behind his back, when the friend is absent.

IV. The leader to ruin has four features:
1. He is a companion only when drinking.
2. He is a companion only when partying.
3. He is a companion only in frequenting shows and amusements.
4. He is a companion only in gambling, gaming and betting.
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How to recognize the 4 kinds of true friends with a genuine goodness (suhada-mitta)?

I. The helping friend has four features:
1. When his friend is off guard, then he guards & protects him.
2. When his friend is off guard, he guards & protects his property.
3. In times of danger, he is always a refuge of help & ready assistance.
4. In times of need, then he gives much more than asked for.

II. The friend through thick and thin has four features:
1. He confess his own secrets to his friend.
2. He keeps his friend's secrets safe and sound.
3. He does not desert or betray his friend in times of danger.
4. He will give even his own life for his friend's sake.

III The good counsellor has four features:
1. He restrains his friend from doing evil or harm.
2. He encourages him to do good & accumulate merit.
3. He explain to his friend, what he has not heard before.
4. He points out the way to prosperity, progress and happiness.

IV. The loving friend has four features:
1. When his friend is unhappy, he sympathizes in pity.
2. When his friend is happy, he is also happy for him.
3. When others criticize his friend, he comes to his defence.
4. When others praise his friend, he joins in their praise.

Such are the 4 false and the 4 true friends. Please take note of that!
B. Allocating one's wealth rightly by intelligent earning, spending & saving:
1. One portion is to be used for supporting oneself, family, dependents, and for charity.
2. Two portions to be used for investment in one's business or owned structures.
3. Another portion to be put aside as savings for future needs.
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Source:A constitution for Living. Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life.
Ven. P.A. Payutto. Thailand. Buddhist Publication Society 2007: BP 620S http://www.bps.lk

The Golden Buddhist Life Standards are the Primary Laws!

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Saturday, April 27, 2013

BUDDHA QUOTES IN MALAYALAM

DHAMMA STUPA IN SARANATH- BIHAR

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

All-Embracing is Infinite Friendliness J _/\_ !

The Blessed Buddha once said:
I am a friend and helper to all,
I am sympathetic to all living beings.
I develop a mind full of love and am
one who always delight in harmlessness!
I gladden my mind, fill it with joy,
and make it immovable and unshakable.
I develop these divine states of mind
not cultivated by simple men.Theragatha 648-9

I am a friend of the footless,
I am a friend of the bipeds;
I am a friend of those with four feet,
I am a friend of the many-footed.
May not the footless harm me,
may not the bipeds harm me,
may not those with four feet harm me, &
may not those with many feet harm me.AN II 72

http://what-buddha-said.net/Pics/buddhism-pink-lotus-flower.jpg

A friend, who always lends a hand,
a friend both in sorrow and joy,
a friend who offers good counsel,
a friend who sympathizes too.
These are the four kinds of true friends:
One who is wise, who have understood much,
will always cherish and serve such friends,
just as a mother tends her only child. DN III, 188

Among tigers, lions, leopards and bears I lived in the jungle.
No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone.
Uplifted by such universal friendliness, I enjoyed the forest.
Finding great solace in such sweetly silenced solitude…Suvanna-sama Jataka 540

And how does a Bhikkhu abide with his mind imbued with friendliness
extending overall? Just as he would feel friendliness on seeing a dearly
favourite person, exactly so does he extend this same loving-kindness to
all beings in all eight directions, one by one, and as above so below.Abhidhamma Pitaka: Appamañña-vibhanga

Bhikkhus, whatever kinds of worldly merit there are, all are not worth
one sixteenth part of the release of mind by universal friendliness;
in shining, glowing and beaming radiance, in invisible yet shielding protection,
such release of mind by universal friendliness far excels & surpasses them all... Itivuttaka 27

http://what-buddha-said.net/Pics/bliss_sukha.jpg

All-Embracing is Infinite Friendliness J _/\_ !

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Ease of Serene Forest Calm:

A radiant deity once asked the Buddha:Those who dwell deep in the forest,
Peacefully living the Noble life,
Eating only a single meal a day,
Why is their appearance so serene?

The Blesses Buddha responded:They do not trouble over the past,
Nor do they crave for any future,
They live just with what is present,
Therefore are their looks so serene!

By urging towards the yet unreal future,
By longing back into a forever lost past,
Fools verily dry up and wither away,
Like a green creeper cut at the root...

More on Forest Bliss:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/forest_bliss.htm

Source: The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya I 5
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Solitary serene calm is Bliss in the Forest!

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest! Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

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