Chung Boon Kuan (born November 22, 1967) is a professor at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia. He holds an electrical engineering degree and a PhD specializes in Electromagnetic Theory and Applications. He has a passion in Chinese philosophies which include the works of Lao Zi, Zhuang Zi, Confucius, Sun Zi, etc.; and Chinese history from 1000 B.C. to the 20th century; the world history; and economics. He has read many books related to these topics for more than 20 years. He likes to think of himself as a global citizen more than a Malaysian. He wants a better world. He believes the world will be better if politicians stop assuming they are clever enough to meddle around in the lives of the people and the world for good reasons.
In Buddhism, the best existence is non-existence. The three marks of existence are: suffering, impermanence and non-self. All beings have suffering; whether one is born as a god (deva), human, ghost, animal or Hell-Being. Suffering include: birth, ageing, sickness, death, association with the disliked, separation from beloved ones, and not getting what one wants. If one is unborn, he/she will not be subjected to any of the suffering. However, one also finds some pleasures in life. It’s therefore a profit and loss consideration. Does one consider life has more profits than losses, or the other way around?
In Buddhism, being born a human is the best gift, better than being a god or Deva. Deva has very little suffering, but that’s impermanent. And that is a bad thing. Why? Suffering is not necessarily bad; lack of suffering is not necessarily good. A wise person is inspired to find the path to happiness when he is inflicted by suffering. Therefore, suffering is a very good teacher. Lack of suffering makes Deva complacent and unable to feel the urgency to seek the path leading to cessation of suffering.
Do I wish I was never born? I am happy to be born a human and am so blessed and fortunate to hear the words of the Buddha. I would be happy to escape the cycle of rebirth or Samsara; ie never be reborn again and become non-existence in the worldly sense. Nevertheless, I will have no regrets to be reborn into any form if there is an afterlife. This is probably the joy and equanimity from the teaching of the Buddha.
Everyone is suffering. No one likes suffering; just like no one likes bitter medicine. But we are sick, more or less. Right medicine is good for us; wrong medicine will cause more suffering. We don’t want others to inflict more suffering to us unnecessarily. We must also not inflict more suffering to others unnecessarily. A culture of non-violent is good for everyone not only in this lifetime but also in the next life (if any) when we are reborn. If there’s no next life, we have nothing to lose. One who is selfish and always thinking to gain advantages over others only makes himself similar to a beggar. Too many beggars in this world cannot be good. One who always practices loving kindness and compassion, prefers to give instead of taking, not afraid of being taken advantage of by others, make himself holy and better than a wealthy person.
Nothing is permanent. That means we will definitely lose what we have, including good things and also bad things. Losing good things will make us feel unhappy. Knowing that we will lose bad things in a later time should make us happy, unless we are impatient. Therefore, we must not be impatient. We will also lose our bodies, but we will not be unhappy if we don’t see the body as a good thing. Better still, don’t see the body as the self, and don’t assume the real self is inside the body. Instead, consider the body as an Avatar remotely controlled by the real self. We are incapable of losing or gaining anything, because nothing really belongs to us. Don’t feel sad for the breaking up of the Avatar, like how we let go of a broken chair.
By contemplating the three marks of existence, one will have no more suffering. He is as good as unborn. He has no more fear, obligations and guilt (FOG); because he has no greed, hatred and delusion. The perfection of virtue, equanimity and wisdom makes him feel happy under any circumstances.
All suffering are due to desire and attachment. Desire for existence is a sickness; desire for non-existence is also a sickness; So is desire for sensual pleasure; three clinging to abandon. Suffering stops when these desires are abandoned. The way leading to cessation of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path.
In the original or pre-sectarian Buddhism, monks and lay followers don’t pray to any god. It is therefore not a religion but a philosophy. Buddhists are not theists. The Buddha teaches us to attain Enlightenment or Nibbana by abandoning attachment to four things: 1) sensual desire, 2) self identification, 3) rules and rituals, 4) views.
Learned Buddhists can find peace easily. There are three things which we contemplate: 1) sufferings, 2) impermanence, 3) non-self. If we accept reality as it really is, instead of what we wish it to be, nothing should inadvertently surprise us. The reality is: no one live without suffering. You are not special, so do I, and he/she, and everybody. Everybody has suffering; no one can escape that. Sufferings include: 1) birth, 2) aging, 3) sickness, 4) death, 5) association with the disliked, 6) separation from beloved ones, 7) not getting what one wants. All sufferings are due to desire (but the Buddha didn’t say all desires lead to suffering). Sufferings cease when one stop having desire. Everybody can learn to do it by walking on the Noble Eightfold Path.
Everything is impermanent. Everything arises due to conditions; everything ceases when the conditions change. Good time is not permanent; so is bad time. When we experience good time, we contemplate that it will end later; therefore, we don’t become overjoy and we don’t feel sad for its eventual end. When we experience bad time, we contemplate that it will end later; therefore, we don’t lament about it since it is just temporary and good time will follow.
The real self is not the body and it is also not inside the body. The body is just an Avatar remotely controlled by the real self. Whatever happens to the body does not bring gain nor lost to the real self. Nothing really belong to us; wealth, material, fame, foods, and relationships don’t really belong to us. All these are like game points which we score. When the game is over, we can’t take these away with us. Enjoy the game but don’t be too calculative about a gain or lost in each battle.
When you are able to let go of everything, including your body, you will feel truly liberated. No fear, obligation, and guilt (FOG). You will have true freedom with no fetters binding you to worldly things. You can constantly abide peacefully and pleasantly until the game ends naturally.
Do Buddhists care if they are enlightened? Not many do, for good or bad reasons. Generally, lay followers don’t care about it because they are not practicing hard enough and they know there is no chance of Enlightenment. After all, it is the highest level of attainment which is very hard to achieve. However, the Buddha expects every monk to strive hard enough to become worthy of veneration and alms foods offered by lay followers. The Buddha said that a monk who refuses to exert effort, as much as is attainable by human, should disrobes and returns to lay life; it would be for the benefit of the monk (as he can then enjoy the sensual pleasures of lay life) and also benefit the Sangha (as he would stop tarnishing the Sangha’s reputation or making lay followers misunderstand the Sangha as unworthy of veneration and offering because of the monk’s sloth and torpor). The Buddha teaches Dharma out of compassion for all people; he doesn’t care to be misunderstood since there is nothing which he wants. However, monks causing disrepute to Buddhism will lead to the destruction of true Dharma; then, future generations will cease to benefit from it (i.e. people learning the Adharma or faked Dharma will drift further into the bitter sea of suffering instead of swimming towards the island of perpetual blissfulness). Unfortunately, there are many such monks today who don’t follow the true Dharma. Monk-hood has become just an occupation, possibly very lucrative, especially in China and Taiwan. Such monks and their lay disciples often pretend to be Enlightened ones for the greedy purposes of gaining wealth, sensual objects, fame, delicious foods, leisure, etc.
Enlightenment in Buddhism means cessation of consciousness; therefore, cessation of “self”. It means absolute liberation; no more fetters binding the “self” to the Wheel of Samsara or cycles of rebirth. The fetters are of course due to one’s attachment or clinging to worldly things, both immaterial (Nama, related to mentality and views) and material (Rupa, related to physical and measurable phenomena) forms. The fetters restrain one’s freedom and make him unhappy. The “self” here refers to the Five Aggregates of Clinging (body senses, feelings, perceptions, volitions, and consciousness). This is not the true self; it is impermanent. It leads to a lot of sufferings, despite occasional sensual pleasures (which are really just like pain-killers to keep us wanting to hold onto the “self”); and losing the sensual pleasures leads to suffering again. One is wise to seek escape from the Wheel of Samsara instead of going through sufferings for infinite cycles of rebirth again and again. One is unwise to regard the “self” as a valuable and desirable thing.
One can only have direct and personal knowledge of the true self when he abandons the Five Aggregates of Clinging. The Five Hindrances (sensual lusts, ill-will and anger, restlessness and worries, sloth and torpor, doubt) make one unable to see realities as they really are. With the presence of Five Hindrances, relying on the Five Aggregates of Clinging to know the world will definitely get the wrong idea about the true self. Letting go of the Five Aggregates of Clinging is the only way to Enlightenment which will lead to cessation of all sufferings once and for all. Monks who practice the holy life resolutely, ardently, and diligently are supremely wise. Lay followers are wise enough to get closer and closer to Enlightenment by following the Noble Eightfold Path. It entails the abandonment of greed, hatred, and delusion; for the perfection of virtue, equanimity, and wisdom. The closer we are to Enlightenment or Nibbana, the least sufferings we have, and the more blissful we are.
Everything is impermanent if one relies on the Five Aggregates of Clinging to know the world. The “self” is impermanent; the blissfulness experienced by the “self” is also impermanent. How does one gain permanent blissfulness? Where is the self to experience it? Obviously, only a permanent true self (Atman) can experience permanent blissfulness. The permanent true self is “non-self” (Anatta). The best existence is non-existence; the true self does not exist as far as the Five Aggregates of Clinging are concerned. When one has no desire, he will feel blissful. When one has a desire to look for the self to experience the blissfulness, he will cease to have blissfulness. When one desires to exist, he will not feel blissful. When one desires to be non-existence, he will not get what he wants but continue to exist in the cycles of rebirth. The true self can experience permanent blissfulness after the cessation of “self”; cessation of greed, hatred, and delusion. One must abandon the attachment to sensual desire, existence, and non-existence to cross the bitter sea of sufferings and reach the island of perpetual blissfulness. Although the body is not fit to be regarded as the self, we can still enjoy the impermanent blissfulness and live pleasantly. We can use the time we have wisely to cultivate ourselves before it is too late.
Does the Buddha exist after death? Does the Buddha not exist after death? Does the Buddha both exist and not exist after death? Does the Buddha neither exist nor not exist after death? These are questions which cannot be answered to one who has Five Aggregates of Clinging. Imagine you are a grain of salt. You exist. If the grain of salt is diluted into the sea, does it still exist or become non-existence? Of course, it still exists but not in the same sense of existence.
The Buddha is experiencing permanent blissfulness. That is the truest meaning of Rest in Peace.
“If you wish to see the truth, then hold no opinions for or against anything. To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind. When the deep meaning of things is not understood, the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.” — Seng Ts’an
Two monks were arguing while watching a flag flapping in the wind. “The flag is moving,” argued one monk. “No, it’s the wind that is moving!” insisted the other monk. Hui Neng was passing by, and remarked, “It’s your minds that are moving.” If the heart is calm, both monks would do better things rather than initiating the desire to distinguish whether the flag or the air is restless. Instead, both monks try to create a “hard fact” or opinion in their minds, which is simply what they wish to be true; they corrupt their minds to become rigid and inflexible, with a set of rules which is considered right and another set considered wrong. One should transcend above the preconditioning of right and wrong to see the truth more clearly.
‘Those who teach a doctrine other than this are lacking in purity, imperfect.’ That’s what the many sectarians say, for they’re smitten with passion for their own views. ‘Only here is there purity, in no other doctrine is purity,’ that’s what they say. That’s how the many sectarians are entrenched, speaking firmly there concerning their own path. Speaking firmly concerning your own path, what opponent here would you take as a fool? You’d simply bring quarrels on yourself if you said your opponent’s a fool. Taking a stance on your decisions, and yourself as your measure (执于我), you dispute further down into the world. But one who’s abandoned all decisions (is nonpartisan and has no attachment to either views) quarrels no more. — Sutta Nipata KN 4.12
Meng Zi said: “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain with themselves and like to be the teachers of everybody else.” (人之患在好为人师。) Don’t be one of the fools and fanatics. The competition between “teachers” about who is right and who is wrong leads to chaos and wars in the world. Therefore, the desire to distinguish right and wrong is probably the second-greatest desire which causes endless sufferings, to oneself and to others around him.
Life of an ordinary being (puthujjana) will have a lot of sufferings. All sufferings are due to desires (but the Buddha never said all desires lead to sufferings). Sufferings cease when one stop having desires (especially the unwholesome desires which arise due to greed, hatred and delusion). The way leading to cessation of sufferings is the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Buddha said life is suffering because nothing is permanent. There are 4 kinds of suffering, due to: 1) sensual organs, 2) existence, 3) ignorance, 4) views. These are also called the 4 floods to cross in order to reach Nibbana or the island of perpetual happiness. One must strive to abandon clinging to sensual pleasures, desire for existence or self-identity, clinging to rules and rituals, and clinging to views (hence zeal to judge right and wrong). You must let go of ego and greed if you are serious about finding happiness, or letting happiness find you. The truth and happiness are looking for you; they can only find you when you are ready and you stop running around.
One can only be really happy when he/she is content.
If a rich person thinks he can only be satisfied when he become a millionaire, he will not be happy because he will have a lot of anxiety and other mental suffering such as fear of losing money, angry of not making satisfactory profit, grief of losing someone he loves (family members, business partners, favorite colleagues and subordinates, customers, etc.), lamentations of working with difficult people, despair of facing unsolvable problems, pressure and depression of struggling to meet deadlines, etc.
If you have just come out from a buffet lunch and a friend offers you a free delicious meal with him, would you load yourself and become uncomfortable? Should you feel sad that you couldn’t have the free stuff? You are wise if you don’t make yourself unhappy. Similarly, if you are content with your life, because you are in a much better position than billions others in the world, it is possible to have the wisdom and equanimity that will make your heart unmoved by whatever outcome in the next second or the future. If you condition yourself to feel that you have had enough good things in your life, you will be able to let go of everything including your body and go wherever the “Invisible Hand” or unseen force dictates. Then, you are fully liberated and possess true freedom. Nothing can ever make you unhappy anymore when you see that the body is not the self, and the true self is not inside the body. You are ready to enter Nibbana (cessation of consciousness) any minute. You will have the ability to feel happy under any circumstances.
A pregnant lady was told by her rich husband that she would inherit half of the family wealth if she gave birth to a son. However, she would get nothing if the baby isn’t a boy. She was anxious to know whether the fetus was a boy or a girl. Unwilling to wait for a few more months, she cut open her belly to find the answer. Of course, she killed herself and the fetus. It is unwise to commit suicide just to get to the Heaven earlier. There is a time for everything to happen naturally. Even if one has no more clinging to everything, including his body, he can always live happily and enjoy his journey in this world until the time comes for him to leave. No clinging to fear, obligation, and guilt (FOG). The fully liberated self is truly free to go anywhere anytime as dictated by Nature.
The worst things that can happen in life are none other than aging, illness, death, association with the disliked, separation from loved ones, not getting what one wants, and rebirth in a woeful plane. Birth is the cause of all suffering; including birth in the human or deva plane, simply because everything is impermanent. Every pleasant situation will end, followed by a painful or unpleasant situation. However, there are silver-linings in everything, including suffering. Unpleasant situation is also impermanent. Suffering makes an intelligent person think and find a solution to end the suffering fast, and also ensure the same problem will never again occur.
When Gotama Buddha shaved off his hair and went forth into homelessness, his parents and family members were extremely sad. Gotama Buddha didn’t take any blame and he should not be blamed. One who got hurt feels the suffering because he/she gave permission for his/her heart to be hurt. One makes himself/herself suffer (fear, anger, grief, lamentation and despair) due to his/her lack of wisdom and equanimity. When Gotama was still a prince, he felt suffering too; thus, he had to go forth and save himself from the suffering. His going forth brings immeasurable benefits to countless beings. We are so fortunate to have the best teacher in the world and learn from him the path to cessation of suffering. We don’t have to go forth into homelessness, compared to Gotama Buddha who didn’t have the benefit of hindsight.
When the worst things in life happen, no one should feel unhappy. Neither the first party, the second party, nor the third party should give permission for his/her heart to be hurt. One who has no greed and has perfected his virtue does not have guilt 心地无非自性戒. One who doesn’t let his heart be moved by external events and has perfected his equanimity does not have fear 心地无乱自性定. One who doesn’t take responsibility when it isn’t his obligation is not deluded. Each person only has an obligation to bring happiness to oneself; one who also helps others to be happy is indeed doing great charity (dana). This is the perfection of wisdom 心地无痴自性慧. If everyone practices personal accountability for one’s happiness through perfection of virtue, equanimity and wisdom, one will become unbreakable like diamond 不增不减自金刚. There will be no violence and the world will become truly peaceful. Of course, nothing is perfect. One who is content with any degree of imperfection will not become unhappy under any circumstances. He will remain tranquil (samadhi) wherever he is 身去身来本三昧.
One who sees reality as it is, rather than what one wishes to see, has Right View. Sufferings (dukkha) are inevitable in life. All sufferings are due to desires (but not all desires cause sufferings). Sufferings cease when one stops having unwholesome desire. The way leading to cessation of sufferings is the Noble Eightfold Path. Through thorough understanding of sufferings (dukkha), impermanence (anicca), and non-self (anatta), the three marks of existence, one understands the arising, disappearance, gratification, danger, and escape of every phenomenon. One will then have no fear, obligation, and guilt (FOG). If one has no delusion of what should or shouldn’t happens, knowing that everything arises due to conditions and disappears due to cessation of the conditions (万事万物因缘和合而生、因缘散尽而灭), he will naturally have perfect mindfulness to concentrate his attention on deep peace of mind and has no clinging to anything including his body.
The body is an aggregate of six sense-organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, touch senses, and mind. Each sense-organ comes in contact with a sense object (form, sound, smell, taste, tactile, and thought/idea) and gives rise to an aggregate of six feelings. This is followed by the aggregates of perceptions, volitions (mental activities), and consciousness. They are called Five Aggregates of Clinging. One clings to these five aggregates and gets an illusion of existence. He feels the world through the six senses and five aggregates of clinging; thus he sees the body as the self, or the self is inside the body. He then starts desiring to protect the body and everything he owns (wealth, relationship, fame, food, and leisure). This leads to the various kinds of sufferings.
When one gets hit by an arrow, his body will feel pain. It is possible to have no mental suffering (dukkha) if he has full control over the five aggregates of clinging. When one exercises hard until he feels pain in his muscle, he may perceive a sense of happiness instead of displeasure. Similarly, feelings (pleasant, unpleasant, neither pleasant nor unpleasant) need not have adverse effects on one’s perceptions, volitions, and consciousness.
Is there a self? If one trusts his five aggregates of clinging, he will see a self. However, if one doesn’t trust the five aggregates of clinging, he will see no self. There is a self, but it is not what one feels through the six senses; it is unfathomable using the five aggregates of clinging. When you are in a dream, you can’t possibly tell the situation of the real self. The world is like an illusion or shadow which is impermanent. The “object” which is the conditioner for the shadow to appear is also impermanent like the shadow; this “object” appears due to another conditioner. The five aggregates of clinging are impermanent and do not fit to be regarded as the self. To take them as self is synonymous to considering a “corpse” as the self. By not seeing the body as the self, and not thinking the self is in the body, this Right View is very useful to one’s happiness. Clinging to views, insisting on right vs. wrong, is unwise because it only leads to suffering. This is a philosophy, an attitude, or a way of thinking. Right is wrong if it leads to chaos; wrong is right if it leads to harmony. Electric flux and magnetic flux are just mathematical concepts; they do not physically exist. That doesn’t mean the concepts are wrong.
Try to live life to the fullest possible but not feel hesitate when you have to let go. 不增不减自金刚 When there is no self, one cannot possibly gain or lose anything, thus becomes solid like diamond. His inner peace is unmoved by the outer world.
Confucius didn’t tell his disciples exactly why he became a teacher. However, from the records of his conversations with his disciples (in the Analects), I understood that teaching was the joyous thing he liked to do. Being a teacher myself, I have the same feeling. If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. A craftsman molds a clay figure for the fun of it. A teacher molds a student for the fun of it.
Confucius didn’t care very much about his career. He was content to live with very little sensual pleasures. Simple meal and plain water, folding the elbow to use as pillow, were enough to make him happy. Conversely, using unwholesome means to become rich and famous were considered unworthy to do like chasing the clouds. (“饭疏食饮水，曲肱而枕之，乐亦在其中矣。 不义而富且贵，于我如浮云”。) He praised his favorite disciple, Yan Hui 颜回 for being happy all the time despite living in extreme poverty (子曰∶“一箪食,一瓢饮,在陋巷,人不堪其忧,回也不改其乐 .贤哉回也!”).
One day, Confucius asked four disciples about their ambitions. He was not pleased with the answers from the first three disciples. Then, Zeng Dian replied: “In the Spring season, putting on a comfortable cloth, invite five or six friends and six or seven children to bath in the river, dancing in the wind on the hill, and then singing along the way home. This is all I want to do.” Confucius was pleased and gave his approval on the ambition of Zeng Dian. He further said: “I want to go with you!” (子路、曾皙、冉有、公西华侍坐。子曰：“以吾一日长乎尔，毋吾以也。居则曰：“不吾知也！’如或知尔，则何以哉？”子路率尔而对曰：“千乘之国，摄乎大国之间，加之以师旅，因之以饥馑；由也为之，比及三年，可使有勇，且知方也。”夫子哂之。“求！尔何如？”对曰：“方六七十，如五六十，求也为之，比及三年，可使足民。如其礼乐，以俟君子。”“赤！尔何如？”对曰：“非曰能之，愿学焉。宗庙之事，如会同，端章甫，愿为小相焉。”“点！尔何如？”鼓瑟希，铿尔，舍瑟而作。对曰：“异乎三子者之撰。”子曰：“何伤乎？亦各言其志也。”曰：“莫春者，春服既成。冠者五六人，童子六七人，浴乎沂，风乎舞雩，咏而归。”夫子喟然叹曰：“吾与点也！”)
Confucius said: “Scholars in the past learnt for the fun of it and for their own happiness. Scholars today learn simply for the sake of selling their knowledge to someone.” (子曰：“古之学者为己，今之学者为人。”) Learning can be a fun thing to do when one is curious to know and eager to learn. Confucius learnt for fun of it and found it joyous to teach his disciples. Confucius said: “Learning something and finding it useful in practice or finding it fun to practice every day (like molding clay figures) really brings a lot of happiness to oneself. Receiving an old friend who is visiting from a faraway land is so wonderful. Being unknown or misunderstood by people but not feeling sad or angry is the fine characteristic of a true gentleman 君子.” (子曰：“学而时习之，不亦说乎？有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？人不知而不愠，不亦君子乎？”) To Confucius, learning is much more about self-cultivation to become a fine gentleman who has perfection of virtue, equanimity and wisdom. Confucius said: “A true gentleman has three attributes, but I have yet to attain any of those. The three attributes are: true compassion makes him have no mental suffering (no anger, grief, anxiety, guilt, etc.); true wisdom makes him have no delusion and doubt about his life mission; true courage makes him have no fear.” Upon hearing this, his disciple replied: “My good teacher, you are simply describing who you already are.” (子曰：“君子道者三，我无能焉：仁者不忧，知者不惑，勇者不惧。”子贡曰：“夫子自 道也。”)
Confucius said: “I started learning the advanced philosophy of the Zhou Dynasty (like attending university 大学) at the age of 15. I attained the ability of independent thinking at the age of 30. At the age of 40, I had no more doubt about the way to live life to the fullest possible and be happy. I could see realities as they really are, accepting the high and low in life with calm and an unmoved heart, at the age of 50. At the age of 60, my ears don’t feel displeased by opposing opinions or extraordinary viewpoints. At the age of 70, I could freely follow my heart to speak or to act, to move or to stop (言行举止), and yet make no mistake.” (子曰：“吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。) These are the wisdom which Confucius wanted to teach his disciples.
Real Confucians generally are more interested to become teachers. Meng Zi said: “There are three things which make a true gentleman happy. Becoming the king of the whole world is not one of them. The parents are alive and well, the brothers and sisters are healthy; this is the first kind of happiness. Having no guilt or remorse because one is virtuous and done no wrong publicly and privately; this is the second kind of happiness. Having many virtuous and brilliant disciples from around the world to teach; this is the third kind of happiness. (孟子曰：“君子有三乐，而王天下不与存焉。父母俱存，兄弟无故，一乐也；仰不愧于天，俯不怍于人，二乐也；得天下英才而教育之，三乐也。”)
People from different cultures and religions have different definitions for Feminism. To the Muslims, feminism may mean the rights for women to wear headscarf and burqa. Some people see it as oppression against women, but some Muslim women want it that way and don’t see it as oppression.
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
Daoism is a kind of feminism philosophy. Daoism philosophy in Dao De Jing of Lao Zi gives a lot of praises to the qualities of female: being soft and flexible like water, calm, tolerant, choose to stay quiet, not competing with others, giving birth benevolently like Mother Nature gave birth to the world, caring, giving much more than taking. Lao Zi basically tells us to learn from the mother much more than the father. Lao Zi basically tells one to prefer being a woman if there is a choice. I would consider it a biblical guide of feminism.
天下皆知美之为美 恶已 皆知善之为善 斯不善矣
“When the world adopts a common standard for beauty, that is ugly. When the world adopts a common standard of virtue, it is undesirable.” Most people prefer to be strong and masculine, as if it is the standard for “beauty” or much desired. However, Lao Zi thinks this is a misguided view. It is due to their inability to see values in everything; the inability to see the real “beauty” hidden by the hindrances within oneself which hinder him/her from seeing reality as it is. Both Ying and Yang have their values; the overlooked feminine attributes of Ying are much more powerful than the masculine attributes of Yang, and bring many benefits to one who knows its power and how to use it. For example, “Love is the most powerful force in the universe and we have the extraordinary ability to give and receive it.”
浴神不死 是谓玄牝 玄牝之门 是谓天地之根 绵绵呵 其若存 用之不堇
The energy source which created the universe will not die off. It is the mysterious womb which created everything in the universe. The door to this mysterious womb is the root of the sky and earth; so soft and enormous. It seems to exist but not visible. It can be used forever and will never be exhausted.
天长 地久天地之所以能长且久者 以其不自生也 故能长生
The sky and earth have existed for so long. Why they are so long lasting is because they don’t selfishly live their own life but share with everything in the natural world. The symbiosis gave them longevity.
上善若水 水善利万物而不争 居众人之所恶 故几于道矣
The best quality has the characteristic of the water. Water provides benefits to all things but never competes with them for anything, and it absorbs everything that others discard. This characteristic is close to Dao.
生之 畜之 生而弗有 长而弗宰 是谓玄德
Dao created all things and nurtures them, but it doesn’t own or possess them. It raises them but not controls them. This kindness is called the Great Benevolence.
知其雄 守其雌 为天下溪 为天下溪 恒德不离 恒德不离 复归于婴儿
Knowing you have the strength of the male (masculine, hard-line, tough, energetic), but choose to behave like the female (feminine, soft, tolerance, calm), and act like the water stream of the world (provide benefit to all things, never compete with anything, and absorb all unwanted things). Acting like the water stream of the world, therefore the people are blessed with benevolence and return to the state of nonviolence like the baby.
柔弱胜刚强
Soft and defensive people can defeat hard and offensive aggressors.
天下有始 以为天下母
The world has a common beginning. It is the mother which produces everything in this world.
大邦者 下流也 天下之牝 天下之交也 牝恒以静胜牡 为其静也
Big country shall behave like the downstream of a river (receptive of all small rivers from the upstream). It shall act as the womb of the world (nurturing all things, helping everybody wherever possible), and the center for people of the world to meet and build diplomatic relations. Feminine behavior (soft, tolerance, and calm) is quiet but it is always better than masculine behavior (hard-line, tough, and energetic). Peace and quietness are much preferred by most people. (Being quiet and not meddling around will gain the trust of everybody as opposed to fear. Being quiet will conserve energy as opposed to restless moves that will exhaust one’s energy.)
我恒有三宝 持而保之 一曰慈 二曰俭 三曰不敢为天下先
I have three precious principles that I uphold diligently; the first is unconditional love for others (no expectation of any return); the second is thrifty, emotionally and financially (exercise moderation; resources are limited, so are affective energy; save the resources so that one can then share widely with more people); the third is dare not take the lead in the world. (Live a simple life. Lie low and not to portray oneself as the best person in the world who knows everything about everything and desire to be the supreme leader of everybody. Don’t be narcissistic.)
勇于敢者则杀 勇于不敢者则活 此两者 或利或害 天之所恶 孰知其故
Those who have the courage to dare take risks will get killed. Those who have the courage to dare-not take risks will live. These two types of courage, one will bring benefit while the other will bring detriment. The things that Nature hates, nobody knows what are the reasons.
人之生也柔弱 其死也亘坚强 万物草木之生也柔脆 其死也枯槁
故曰 坚强者 死之徒也 柔弱微细者 生之徒也
是以兵强则不胜 木强则折 强大居下 柔弱细微居上
Living humans are soft and weak. When we die, our bodies finally become stiff. All living plants are soft and crispy. When they die, they become rigid and degrading. Hence, it is said that the stiff belong to the group of death; (Those who are not flexible are not far from death.) The soft and fine belong to the group of lively. Therefore, using military might to threaten others will not win a war. (Military strength can win a hundred battles but not a war; retaliation or infighting for domination will follow. The regime will fall either way.) Wood which grows strong will break. (Hard tree will be felled by strong wind or a chopper.) Strong and domineering is undesirable. Soft and fine is highly venerated.
水之胜刚也 弱之胜强也 天下莫弗知也 而莫之能行也
Soft like water can be more superior to rigidity. Weak can be better than strong. (Being strong and arrogant to even dare to fight against the force of Nature will surely end up with dilapidation. Darwin’s Theory of Evolution or Natural Selection is not synonymous to “survival of the fittest” as suggested by Herbert Spencer. Survival is best guaranteed by running away from danger in the struggle for life. In this sense, the “fittest” is not the one which presumes itself to be strong enough to defeat everything, or in the best physical shape, but the one that is ready to adapt and live in harmony with the environment. Big trees are felled by hurricane but not the grass.) Nobody in the world doesn’t know this fact; but few can endeavor to practice the ideology.
正言若反
The truth and correct way sometimes looks opposite to common knowledge or mainstream teaching. This is because the real truth is extraordinary.
What is the purpose of this feminism? First of all, feminism is not only for the women but can be very useful and powerful for men. Masculine is the characteristic of Yang, while Feminine is the characteristic of Ying. Both Ying and Yang must exist in balance. The problem with the world is people put too much emphasis on the Yang but neglect the Ying. This has created an imbalance. Some so-called Feminist organizations advocate women to behave like men, do what men do, even to the extent of seeing men as inferiors or enemies. By making themselves like men, they become masculine (Yang) rather than feminine (Ying). It creates even more imbalance. Some other Feminist organizations advocate women to be brave and no shame in exposing their bodies and skins in the public. They make justifications to turn women into sexual objects, surrogate mothers, and legalization of prostitution. It basically downgrades women into lower beings than men; but they claim this is empowering the women to take ownership of their bodies and freedom. I wouldn’t want my daughter to be like this.
We must recognize there are inherent differences between men and women. However, we must refrain from making simplistic judgement that men are more superior than women, or the other way around. Instead, we must see reality as it is rather than what we want reality to be. Men are neither superior nor inferior to women. Men with Yang energy can cultivate their Ying energy to become better men or True Men (真人). Women with Ying energy can cultivate their Yang energy to become better women or True Women. True Men and True Women will still have differences and not become sexless. However, the differences need not be amplified. Men can become homemakers, and women can become career politicians or engineers. Men with virtue, equanimity and wisdom can become companions of women with similar virtue, equanimity and wisdom. Men or women who don’t cultivate themselves (or in the path of self-cultivation) are not worthy to be accepted as companions and they deserve to stay alone.
With the world having too much Yang energy than Ying energy, the society is always unstable. The purpose of promoting Daoist Feminism is to correct the imbalance for the benefits of everybody, men and women. Men are not saved until and unless women are saved. Masculinity makes people restless, egoistic, and like to create conflicts. The fires in the heart will cause a lot of suffering and people (men and women) will find no peace nor happiness. Imbalances make people unsatisfied and therefore have a lot of greed, hatred and delusions. If everybody behaves more like a mother than like a father, the world will become a new Heaven which is peaceful with no conflicts and wars.
By the way, Daoist feminism doesn’t mean creating a world with more Ying than Yang; which will cause another kind of imbalance. It simply tells us not to overlook the power of Ying energy. Water may seem soft and weak. You can’t possibly use a cup of water to extinguish a forest fire. However, water has a cohesive characteristic. When water in the form of tsunami (like people united on a common cause) hits, nothing can survive in its way.
The Buddha is against idolization of any person or god. He didn’t instruct monks nor lay followers to take him as the model for Buddhist life. However, due to obvious reason, Buddhists tend to take him as the model out of respect, adoration, admiration, appreciation and faith. The Buddha teaches us to dwell as a lamp unto ourselves, refuge unto ourselves, seeking no other refuge; with Dhamma as our lamp, Dhamma as our refuge, seeking no other refuge.
‘Those who teach a doctrine other than this are lacking in purity, imperfect.’ That’s what the many sectarians say, for they’re smitten with passion for their own views. ‘Only here is there purity, in no other doctrine is purity,’ that’s what they say. That’s how the many sectarians are entrenched, speaking firmly there concerning their own path. Speaking firmly concerning your own path, what opponent here would you take as a fool? You’d simply bring quarrels on yourself if you said your opponent’s a fool. Taking a stance on your decisions, and yourself as your measure (执于我), you dispute further down into the world. But one who’s abandoned all decisions (is nonpartisan and has no attachment to either views) quarrels no more. — Sutta Nipata KN 4.12
The Buddha doesn’t encourage blind faith. Faith in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha is merely the first step. The Buddha encourages us to investigate the teacher to ascertain that he has no greed, hatred and delusion before accepting any of his doctrines. After that, we are told to investigate the Dhamma, even if it is the words of the Buddha or claimed to be Buddha’s words, and believe the words only after consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion of the teaching. It must be followed by energy to further investigate the Dharma in more details and undergo the training, recollection and reflection on the Dharma, attain equanimity (Samadhi), and wisdom (Panna). Monks and lay followers are not allowed to pretend that they are awakened to the Truth, much less claiming attainment of the Truth. Monks must not pretend they know which karma leads to what fruition; or who was the person in one’s past life; as if they can see the karmic process themselves with their own eyes. Monks must also not pretend that they know the destination of one’s rebirth, unless the monks really have attained the psychic power and are not bluffing.
“Māgaṇḍiya, it is like a man blind from birth who could not see dark or bright shapes, nor green, yellow, red or crimson shapes, who could not see what is even or uneven, who could not see the stars, who could not see the moons and suns. If he should hear a man with vision saying: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,’ he would walk about searching for a white cloth. But some man might deceive him with a greasy grimy coarse robe, saying: “My good man, this is a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,’ and he might take it; having taken it, he might put it on; having put it on, he might, in his pride, utter a cry of pride: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth.’ What do you think about this, Māgaṇḍiya? If that man, blind from birth, had known and seen, would he have taken that greasy grimy coarse robe; having taken it, would he have put it on; having put it on, would he, in his pride, have uttered the cry of pride: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth’?”
“Or was it from faith in the man with vision?”
“The blind man might take a greasy grimy coarse robe; It was from faith in the man with vision.”
“Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, wanderers belonging to other sects are blind, they are without vision; not knowing health, not seeing Nibbāna, they yet speak this verse: ‘Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna the highest bliss.’ But, Māgaṇḍiya, this verse was uttered in days gone by by perfected ones, fully Self-awakened Ones.” — Majjhima Nikāya 75.
“These five things, Bhāradvāja, have a twofold maturing here-now. What five? Faith, inclination, report, consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion. These, Bhāradvāja, are five things having a twofold maturing here-now. Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even although something may be thoroughly believed in, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, something not thoroughly believed in may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”
“Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even though something may be thoroughly inclined towards … well reported … well considered … well reflected upon, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, even although something is not well reflected upon, it may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”
“Preserving a truth, Bhāradvāja, is not enough for an intelligent man inevitably to come to the conclusion: ‘This alone the truth, all else is falsehood.'”
“Bhāradvāja, if a man has faith and says: ‘Such is my faith,’ speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: ‘This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.’”
“And if, Bhāradvāja, a man has an inclination … a report … a consideration of reasons … a reflection on and approval of an opinion and says: ‘Such is my reflection on and approval of the opinion,’ speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: ‘This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.’”
“Bhāradvāja, suppose a monk is living depending on a village or market town; a householder or a householder’s son, having approached him, examines him concerning three states: states of greed, states of aversion and states of confusion. While examining him, he knows thus:
‘This venerable one does not have such states of greed that, his mind obsessed by such states of greed, while not knowing he would say, “I know,” or while not seeing he would say, “I see,” nor would he incite another to such a course as would be for a long time for his woe and ill.’
As is that venerable one’s conduct of body, as is his conduct of speech, so is it not that of a greedy person.
And when this venerable one teaches Dharma, that Dharma is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful, excellent, beyond dialectic, subtle, intelligible to the wise; it is not a Dharma that could be well taught by a greedy person.
After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, then he examines him further on states of aversion, and states of confusion.
After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, states of aversion, and states of confusion, then he reposes faith in him; with faith born, he draws close; drawing close, he sits down near by; sitting down near by, he lends ear; lending ear, he hears Dharma; having heard Dharma, he remembers it; he tests the meaning of the things he remembers; while testing the meaning, the things are approved of; if there is approval of the things, desire is born; with desire born, he makes an effort; having made an effort, he weighs it up; having weighed it up, he strives; being self-resolute, he realizes with his person the highest truth itself; and penetrating it by means of intuitive wisdom, he sees.
It is to this extent, Bhāradvāja, that there is an awakening to truth; it is to this extent that one awakens to truth; it is to this extent that we lay down an awakening to truth.” — Majjhima Nikāya 95.
The Buddha didn’t instruct us to take him as the model for Buddhist life. He didn’t tell everybody to become a monk like him. The Buddha have more lay disciples or followers than monks. Lay followers are encouraged to live happily with their family lives by following the teaching of the Buddha. However, monks are of course encouraged to follow the Buddha’s way of life, giving the highest respect to the training and meditation (to attain Samadhi). The training involves destruction of the Five Hindrances: 1) Sensual desire, 2) ill will and anger, 3) restlessness and remorse, 4) Sloth and torpor, 5) Doubt. Monks must put forth energy diligently and ardently in their training; instead of giving excuses such as vowing to postpone their awakening in order to help others. The disciples of the Buddha helped countless others without neglecting their training. They practiced Dana, Sila and Bhavana all at the same time. Monks must not have doubt in the way of the Buddha.
Nirvana is not Heaven. Nirvana is a state of mind. It means the destruction of greed, hatred and delusion in oneself. That also means the perfection of virtue, equanimity and wisdom; which will bring a more superior form of happiness to oneself; one cannot feel that kind of happiness if he/she only knows the theory but not really practicing abandonment of greed, hatred and delusion. One can reach the state of Nirvana in this very life by walking the Noble Eightfold Path; it is not an afterlife thing. One who has reached Nirvana is called an Arahant, the highest level Arya-hood. He/she will never be reborn again after this lifetime. The best existence is non-existence in terms of having eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind to take care of. After the breaking up of the body, an Arahant will not be reborn in either Heaven, human realm, ghost realm, animal realm, or Hell. The spokes of the wheel of rebirth are broken and the Arahant escapes the cycle of Samsara once and for all.
The best vehicle which one can use to achieve Nirvana is the pre-sectarian Buddhism. It is the original Buddhism to have existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being. The contents and teachings of this pre-sectarian Buddhism must be deduced or re-constructed from the earliest Buddhist texts (EBT). The most widely studied EBT material are the first four Pali Nikayas, namely Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikāya, Samyutta Nikāya, and Aṅguttara Nikāya.
Various scholars of Buddhist studies such as Richard Gombrich, Akira Hirakawa, Alexander Wynne and A. K. Warder hold that Early Buddhist texts contain material that could possibly be traced to the historical Buddha himself or at least to the early years of pre-sectarian Buddhism. According to the Japanese scholar Akira Hirakawa, “any attempt to ascertain the original teachings of the historical Buddha must be based on this literature.”
Theravada (“School of the Elders”) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism’s oldest existing school. The school’s adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of Gautama Buddha’s teaching or Dhamma in the Pāli Canon. Theravada monks are expected to train diligently and ardently so that they achieve Nirvana in this lifetime as much as possible. If the egg doesn’t hatch in this lifetime, they believe the training and self-cultivation may be continued in the next life. They are taught to have no clinging to sensual pleasure, existence, as well as non-existence. They will strive hard but at the same time be patient in walking the Noble Eightfold path at a suitable pace. Theravada monks also teach the Dhamma to young monks and lay followers for self-liberation from suffering. Theravada monks are not selfish but praiseworthy to be concerned about their own welfare (in achieving Nirvana) as well as the welfare of others.
Mahayana generally believe it is more important to remain in Saṃsara and help others. Therefore, it teaches monks to postpone their awakening. In other words, Mahayana monks will not achieve Nirvana or cessation of greed, hatred and delusion. The slow progress to achieve Nirvana could take aeons and in the meantime they will be helping countless beings.
‘Those who teach a doctrine other than this are lacking in purity, imperfect.’ That’s what the many sectarians say, for they’re smitten with passion for their own views. ‘Only here is there purity, in no other doctrine is purity,’ that’s what they say. That’s how the many sectarians are entrenched, speaking firmly there concerning their own path. Speaking firmly concerning your own path, what opponent here would you take as a fool? You’d simply bring quarrels on yourself if you said your opponent’s a fool. Taking a stance on your decisions, and yourself as your measure (执于我), you dispute further down into the world. But one who’s abandoned all decisions (is nonpartisan and has no attachment to either views) quarrels no more. — Sutta Nipata KN 4.12
Buddha said: “Just as a stick from a funeral pyre, burning at both ends and smeared with dung in the middle, can serve no useful purpose as fuel in the village or as timber in the forest – using such a simile do I speak of the person who is concerned neither with his own good nor the good of others. The person who is concerned with the good of others but not his own is more excellent and higher than this. The person who is concerned with his own good but not the good of others is more excellent and higher still. And he who is concerned with both his own good and the good of others – he is of the four persons the chief, the best, the topmost, the highest, the supreme.” A person who is not concerned with his own good is either the worst or second worst of the four types of persons. He cannot be trusted even if he is only concerned with the good of others; because he is either pretending to be selfless (but actually evil) or he is insane (due to years of brainwashing by religious doctrines). A person who pretends to be selfless is more dangerous than a person who is concerned only with his own good; because there is evil selfishness hiding behind the fake selflessness. A person who is concerned only with his own good doesn’t deserve to have a good friend; he only deserves to have a friend similar to himself who is not concerned with the good of others. In the end, he may have to live alone in isolation.
The Buddha teaches monks to cultivate the Four Sublime States of Loving-kindness (metta); Compassion (karuna); Sympathetic Joy (mudita); and Equanimity (upekkha). Helping others is strongly encouraged. However, one is discouraged to sacrifice himself for others. Preaching self-sacrifice will only bring more suffering to oneself and others. It is a form of attachment or clinging. They will do disservice to their followers; like blind leading the blind, or like a person sinking into a cesspool trying to save another person to get out of the cesspool. One is out of the cesspool when he cultivates himself to abandon greed, hatred and delusion and attain wholesome virtue, equanimity and wisdom. Without any attainment, i.e. one has no personal and direct knowledge on the way leading to cessation of suffering (except the faith in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha), he may wrongly teach the followers and inadvertently bring more suffering to everybody instead.
A Sangha is a group of monks with more than 2 members. This is the “micro” definition. The “macro” definition refers to all monks who are the “sons” of the Buddha, born out of his mouth (because they become monks after listening to the words coming out of the Buddha’s mouth). Monks who live together are companions. They are taught by the Buddha to love each other in thought, speech, and action both openly and privately. Practically, this is only possible when each member in the Sangha is virtuous, loving, compassionate, joyous, and peace-loving.
Now at that time, venerable Anuruddha, venerable Nandiya and venerable Kimbila were staying in the Eastern Bamboo Grove. The Buddha went to visit them. “I hope things are going well with you, Anuruddhas, I hope you are keeping going, I hope you are not short of alms food?”
“Things are going well with us, Lord, we are keeping going, Lord, and, revered sir, we are not short of alms food.”
“I hope that you, Anuruddhas, are living all together on friendly terms and harmoniously, as milk and water blend, regarding one another with the eye of affection?”
“Yes, certainly, revered sir, we are living all together on friendly terms and harmoniously, as milk and water blend, regarding one another with the eye of affection.”
“And how is it that you, Anuruddhas, are living all together on friendly terms and harmoniously, as milk and water blend, regarding one another with the eye of affection?”
“Here, lord, the thought occurs to me, ‘It’s a gain for me, a great gain, that I’m living with companions like this in the holy life.’ I’m set on bodily acts, verbal acts and mental acts of goodwill with regard to these venerable ones, openly and privately. The thought occurs to me, ‘Why don’t I, having cast aside my own mind, conduct myself in line with the mind of these venerable ones?’ So, having cast aside my own mind, I conduct myself in line with the mind of these venerable ones. We are separate in body, lord, but one — as it were — in mind.” Then, venerable Nandiya and venerable Kimbila said the same.
“This, lord, is how we are living harmoniously, cordially, and without dispute, blending like milk and water, looking at one another with eyes of affection.”
“But, Anuruddhas, do you remain heedful, ardent, and resolute?”
“Yes, lord, we remain heedful, ardent, and resolute.”
“But, Anuruddhas, how do you remain heedful, ardent, and resolute?”
“Here, lord, whichever of us returns first from going to the village for alms, lays out the seats, sets out water for drinking and using, and sets out the refuse bucket. Whoever returns afterwards from going to the village for alms eats the leftovers — if there are any and if he wants to — and if not, he throws them out in a place where there are no crops or dumps them into water without living beings in it. He puts away the seats, puts away the water for drinking and using, puts away the refuse bucket after having washed it, and sweeps the meal hall. Whoever sees that the drinking-water jar, using-water jar, or rinsing-water jar in the bathroom are low or empty refills it. If it occurs to him, ‘It’s too much for me,’ he calls another by waving — using hand signals — and they refill the drinking-water jar or using-water jar by joining hands. But we don’t for that reason break into speech. And every five days we sit together for the whole night to discuss the Dhamma. That’s how we remain heedful, ardent, and resolute.”
“Excellent, Anuruddhas. Excellent.”
One may call himself a Buddhist when he takes refuge with the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. What is the purpose of the Sangha?
The Buddha said: “Just as a stick from a funeral pyre, burning at both ends and smeared with dung in the middle, can serve no useful purpose as fuel in the village or as timber in the forest – using such a simile do I speak of the person who is concerned neither with his own good nor the good of others. The person who is concerned with the good of others but not his own is more excellent and higher than this. The person who is concerned with his own good but not the good of others is more excellent and higher still. And he who is concerned with both his own good and the good of others – he is of the four persons the chief, the best, the topmost, the highest, the supreme.” A person who is not concerned with his own good is either the worst or second worst of the four types of persons. He cannot be trusted even if he is only concerned with the good of others; because he is either pretending to be selfless (but actually evil) or he is insane (due to years of brainwashing by religious doctrines). A person who pretends to be selfless is more dangerous than a person who is concerned only with his own good; because there is evil selfishness hiding behind the fake selflessness. A person who is concerned only with his own good doesn’t deserve to have a good friend; he only deserves to have a friend similar to himself who is not concerned with the good of others. In the end, he may have to live alone in isolation.
“And he who is concerned with both his own good and the good of others – he is of the four persons the chief, the best, the topmost, the highest, the supreme.” This is the purpose of the Sangha. Monks ensure the Buddha’s teaching can be passed down for countless generations; keeping the Wheel of Dhamma turning continuously. This is the first way the Sangha is beneficial both for its own good and the good of others. Learning from the Dhamma, monks and lay disciples develop loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), empathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha). They find true happiness and equanimity for themselves, and also bring happiness to the people around them. This is the second way the Sangha is beneficial both for its own good and the good of others.
Monks teach a Dhamma for the abandoning of passion, for the abandoning of aversion, for the abandoning of delusion. Monks practice for the abandoning of passion, for the abandoning of aversion, for the abandoning of delusion. Monks whose passion, aversion and delusion are abandoned, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising; they, in this world, are well-gone.
Monks teach the Dhamma through body language and speech. Unfortunately for lay people who couldn’t appreciate it, they can’t learn from the monks. Even if a monk doesn’t speak, his personal conduct in terms of virtue, equanimity and wisdom will serve to inspire other people, novice monks and lay disciples, to cultivate similar qualities in themselves. Anybody who slanders them as being selfish is blaming the blameless instead of praising the praiseworthy. The unwholesome karma can lead to bad outcomes.
Is the business of going-forth — as the Buddha and his disciples did — one that benefits countless beings, or only one being? Of these two practices — going-forth compared to making sacrifices — which appeals to you as the less difficult, the less violent, the more fruitful, and the more rewarding? — Sangarava Sutta AN 3.60. Monks who teach, practice and live according to Dhamma benefit countless beings. It is much more difficult and less violent to go forth than making sacrifices. It is much more fruitful and more rewarding to go forth than making sacrifices.
RESILIENT KID 