The Culture of The Buddha
The Buddha’s dispensation is the instructions given by him for self-development in thought, speech and bodily actions. It could perhaps be more appropriately rendered as the Buddha’s culture or refinement. To be truly cultured or civilised requires the ability to restrain oneself from all harmful actions directed towards living beings through the three doors of mind, mouth and body.
THE CULTURE OF THE BUDDHA
Culture of moral integrity
Culture of concentration
Culture of understanding
To be able to restrain the mind requires the ability to differentiate wholesome from unwholesome actions, which is the cultivation of wisdom. If an action is harmful yet one still does it, then one is uncivilised. If an action is harmful but one restrains oneself from doing it, then one is civilised.
One should place oneself in another person’s shoes when contemplating any harmful actions. The Buddha instructed that one has to put oneself in the position of a mother of other beings to understand them. Expressed poetically we could then say the teaching lies in the heart.
THE FIVE PRECEPTS:
1. to refrain from killing
2. to refrain from stealing
3. to refrain from sexual misconduct
4. to refrain from lying
5. to refrain from intoxicants
Keeping the Five Precepts is the way to be cultured in all physical acts, It is called the culture of moral integrity. Other religions too have such guidelines to moral purification.
There is a controversy about the last precept, the abstinence from alcohol, when it comes to small quantities, especially during social drinking. But even small amounts are often risky temptations. Where to put the limit between a little bit and too much? Transgressing this rule is a frequent cause for the breaking of the other four precepts.
Considering the faults and pains
in disregarding the precepts helps us to shun from breaking them.
Considering the benefits of keeping precepts encourages us to observe them.
Perfection in moral integrity indicates a high level of true civilisation.
Yet, although one’s precepts are kept pure, unwholesome states of mind
can still arise. That is, the mind is still uncivilised and barbaric.
To be mentally civilised, we have to go to the next step - the culture
of concentration.
CULTURE OF CONCENTRATION:
a. tranquillity meditation
b. insight meditation
The culture of concentration falls into two categories, tranquillity meditation (samatha bhavana) and insight meditation (vipassana bhavana). This exposition will be mainly concerned with the culture of insight meditation. When one notes mindfully the bodily processes, the mind ceases to wander. At that moment, there are no thoughts of aggression, lust or breaking the precepts. The mind is clear and pure. The three factors - energy, mindfulness and concentration- contribute to a truly cultured mind.
This is moral integrity, which comes about through concentration. To really enjoy the benefits of such a cultured mind, one should fully resolve to be serious and continuous in one's practice.
All Conditioned Phenomena Are:
a) Impermanent
b) Oppressive
c) Without self
The main benefit in insight meditation is the seeing of things according to their true nature - seeing that all that exists are conditions conditioned mental and material phenomena and that these are impermanent, oppressive and occur according to impersonal laws. This insight culminates in the attainment of the first stage of enlightenment, which has the important function of eliminating forever-certain classes of wholesome consciousness. This culmination marks the establishement of the culture of understanding, which is the Buddha's teaching not outside of us but in our hearts.
Two factors contribute greatly to
such a noble aim, the faithfully listening to instructions given by the
teacher and the serious application of the teaching in one's practice.
CHAPTER
2.....
Note :
There are a few things a yogi should understand here. What is important is his attitude. As much as he can he should try to be mindful and he should be happy with the fact that he is trying. For he cannot expect perfection, at least not until he is an arahant. Only an arahant can be mindful all the time.
- Upandita
Sati and the Yogi, page 1