Words of Buddha - Thoughts for Contemplation

COMMENTARY
Nothing in the world happens by chance - not because things are predestined, but because everything is connected by cause and effect. This includes thoughts, because they both cause things to happen and are aroused by things that happen. What we think has consequences for the world around us, - for others, for the world, for ourselves - and sooner or later they will get back to us.

Actions in harmony with dharma (law essence holding life together, the law that all things and events are part of an indivisible whole) bring good karma and add to health and happiness. Selfish actions, at odds with the rest of life, bring unfavorable karma and pain. We punish and reward ourselves.

As Jesus taught: "As you sow, so shall you reap. With whatever measure you mete out to others, with the same measure it shall be meted out to you."

Just as the pure and fragrant lotus flower grows out of the mud of a swamp rather than out of the clean loam of an upland field, so from the muck of worldly passions springs the pure Enlightenment of Buddhahood. Even the mistaken views of heretics and the delusions of worldly passions may be the seeds of Buddhahood.

If a diver is to secure pearls he must descend to the bottom of the sea, braving all dangers of jagged corral and vicious sharks. So man must face the perils of world passion if he is to secure the precious pearl of Enlightenment. He must first be lost among the mountainous crags of egoism and selfishness, before there will awaken in him the desire to find a path that will lead him to Enlightenment.

The cause of human suffering is undoubtedly found in the thirsts of the physical body and in the illusions of worldly passion. If these thirsts and illusions are traced to their source, they are found to be rooted in the intense desires of physical instincts. Thus, desire, having a strong will-to-live as its basis, seeks that which it feels desirable, even if it is sometimes death.
This is called the Truth of the Cause of Suffering.

If desire, which lies at the root of all human passion, can be removed, then passion will die out, and all human suffering will be ended. this is called the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.

In order to enter into a state where there is no desire and no suffering, one must follow a certain Path. The stages of this Noble Eightfold Path are:

Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech,
Right Behavior, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

This is called the Truth of the Noble Path, the Cessation of the Cause of Suffering.

People should keep these Truths clearly in mind, for the world is filled with suffering and if anyone wishes to escape from suffering, he must sever the ties of worldly passion. The way of life which is free from all worldly passion and suffering can only be known through Enlightenment, and Enlightenment can only be attained through the discipline of the Noble Eightfold Path.

It is easy to shield the outer body from poisoned arrows, but it is impossible to shield the mind from the poisoned darts that originate within itself. Greed, anger, foolishness and the infatuations of egoism - these four poisoned darts originate within the mind and infect it with deadly poison.

If people are infected with greed, anger, and foolishness, they will lie, cheat, abuse and be double-tongued, and then, will actualize their words by killing, stealing, and committing adultery.

The three evil states of mind, the four evil words, and the three evil acts, if added together, become the ten gross evils.

If people become accustomed to lying, they will unconsciously commit every possible wrong deed.
Before they can act wickedly they must lie, and once they begin to lie they will act wickedly with unconcern.

Greed, lust, fear, anger, misfortune, unhappiness, all derive from foolishness. Thus foolishness is the greatest of the poisons.

From desire, action follows; from action suffering follows; desire, action and suffering are like a wheel rotating endlessly.

The rolling of this wheel has no beginning and no ending; how can people escape reincarnation? On life follows another life according to this transmigrating cycle in endless recurrence.

Although the nature of Buddhahood is possessed by all people, it is buried so deeply in the defilements of worldly passion that it long remains unknown. That is why suffering is so universal and why there is this endless recurrence of miserable lives.

But, just as, by yielding to greed, anger and foolishness, evil deeds are accumulated and condition rebirth, so, by following the Buddha's teaching, the evil sources will be cleared away and rebirth in the world of suffering will be ended.

Fundamentally, everyone has a pure clean mind, but it is usually covered over by the defilement and dust of worldly desires which have arisen from one's circumstances. This defiled mind is not of the essence of one's nature; something has been added, like an intruder or even a guest in a home, but not its host.

The moon is often hidden by clouds, but it is not moved by them and its purity remains untarnished. Therefore, people must not be deluded into thinking that this defiled mind is
that of their own true mind.

The diamond, the hardest of known substances, cannot be crushed. Sand and stones can be ground to powder but diamonds remain unscratched. Buddha-nature is like the diamond, and thus cannot be broken.

Human nature, both its body and mind,
will wear away, but the nature of Buddhahood can not be destroyed.

Buddha-nature is, indeed, the most excellent characteristic of human nature. Buddha teaches that, although in human nature there may be endless varieties such as men and women,
there is no discrimination with regard to
Buddha-nature.

Pure gold is procured by melting ore and removing all impure substances. if people would melt the ore of their minds and remove all the impurities of worldly passion and egoism, they would all recover the same pure Buddha-nature.

Buddha leads people, by merely indicating to them the Fourfold Noble Truths.
Those who understand it properly will attain Enlightenment; they will be able to guide and support others in this bewildering world, and they will be worthy of trust.
When the Fourfold Noble Truth is clearly understood, all the sources of worldly passion are dried up.

Advancing from this Fourfold Noble Truth, the disciples of Buddha will attain all other precious truths; they will gain the wisdom and insight to understand all meanings, and will become capable of preaching the Dharma to all the peoples of the world.

Be vigilant and go beyond death. If you lack vigilance, you cannot escape death. Those who strive earnestly will go beyond death; those who do not can never come to life. The wise understand this, and rejoice in the wisdom of the noble ones. Meditating earnestly and striving for nirvana, they attain the highest joy and freedom.

If you meditate earnestly, pure in mind and kind in deeds, leading a disciplined life in harmony with the dharma, you will grow in glory. If you meditate earnestly, through spiritual disciplines you can make an island for yourself that no flood can overwhelm.

- Dhammapada 2 : Vigilance 1,2