QUESTION FROM BUDDHIST MEMBERS.

 

VENERABLE THICH THIEN SIEU.HOA THUONG.

P particles from the research and learn the Buddha's teachings is essential to find a method of liberation and peace for yourself. Just like the old days, when the Buddha was in the world, the layman is going to come to Him is to pray for His only teacher, that would give them a happy life happily.

Anguttara Nikaya IIIA record that:

"One day, a lay disciples named Dighajamnu (knee length) to go to him, bowed and said that:

- O Buddha, we are the owners, who are enjoying the sex life, live knots with his wife and children, use these floral wax, the Territory gold; Buddha, Buddha preach people like us, the theory of how to approach that brings us happiness in the present and future happiness. "

Today, laypeople in our time, though unspoken secrets in your mind, but perhaps also to embrace a similar ambition, that is, how to as a laity, while enjoying sensual life, get a life of happiness in the present and the future?

Although the merchant Dighajamnu (knee length) live with worldly pleasures, but he found the material properties just helped him to live, not help him be peace. He lived within the enclosure between the relatives of his wife and children full, full of fame, property wealth, but from the heart was heavy with anxiety fear, greed, hatred, lust desire never stop to think, he thought he could never be at peace. He wished the Buddha taught him a method to bring home as he lives a life of peace and lasting happiness. He lay he stressed, while enjoy worldly pleasures, not ordained, to live a life of begging as monks.

It is a request very earnestly and sincerely, as well as a stone try for gold Buddhism. Buddhism with an infinite compassion, with a transcendental doctrine background, but is it helpful to the vast majority of human suffering, and rolling in the world?

Following the Buddha's answer shows us that the Buddha special attention to the life of the laity that appears.

I. Four methods lead to happiness, happiness in the present.

Buddha teaches lay Dighajamnu that: "Lay, four methods lead to happiness and peace in the present." What are the four?

- Fully removable shoulder,
- Full protection
- do you good,
- Life balance regulation.

1. Lay, how is the "full the removable carry"?

Means laity even profession also need sophisticated, diligent tireless, that reflection learn, that means action to control both themselves and others to benefit and achieve high economic efficiency.

2. What is "adequate protection"?

Means the property by removing the take diligent and harvest, so the sweat poured out lawful search, protection must be smart to keep, so that from being king confiscated, theft carried away, fire, water flow, damaged children break.

These are very practical teaching, because is not as goods to be begging for life, they obligation to parents, wife the relatives should need to have a legitimate career living to do of wealth. To do this need to be diligent, sophisticated work and career. If not hard to remove the shoulder, they will be drawn into illicit things, do social unrest because of the money by the sweat poured out. Whenever money generated by illicit not the best material, the amount of money was illegal, it would be confiscated by the king. So how to preserve wealth from the king carried away is to have a good career. Other assets due to sweat to earn the hard way have to worry in case, do not lead to accidents such as fire, water, theft, and most are children of filial vandalism.

In the past as well as present society, there are many wealthy families too and children, loosely education, to children damaged mercilessly out of the junk on the fun as gambling, alcohol, drunk ..., such as parents is to nurture the evildoers to break down, do harm to the family, society and nation. When smashed assets of all parents and will definitely go into the village, destroying the neighborhood, harm people. Therefore, Buddha's, have money, have to worry about protection, not to fall into these cases. That is outside legitimate enriched by his labor, the need to pay special attention to the education of their children to be careful to bring it to life, creating a happy life most children contribute to the prosperity of society.

3. What is "doing good"?

That is where they live in the village or in the town, have the landlord or landlord son morality, full of faith, full of wisdom and heart charity, you should get acquainted, talk, workshop discussion with them. From the full faith, learning to trust. From the full moral, moral learning. From the full giving please learn alms. From the full intellectual, academic intelligence. It is up to you to improve.

In the three teachings on, two teaching is teaching material wealth creation and how to maintain it. The third teaching is the teaching on the law, that is, the spiritual wealth of the spirit. Apply it in life, the lay Buddhist from reputation, was the ridicule that's unconscionable. So the laity must cultivate the Dharma to the language, actions, thoughts, in accordance with the teachings and become Buddhists benefits useful life.

4. What is "life balance regulation"?

That is when wealth creation need to spend an adaptation, not too extravagant nor too Basin. If for daily consumption, the number of import will lead to bankruptcy and loss of balance in life. In contrast, spending too Basin, need expenditure dare not, dare not consumers, will become the slaves of wealth. The ownership of material goods, live peacefully, on the contrary, the dominant material master it is a slave to wealth, will cause suffering. Mastering the material is? Is the need to spend on legitimate, they must spend, do not spend it on hold. Short people with the wealth to all who have the money, just keep daphnia, even to the consumers themselves do not dare say anything to his family his wife and giving to others.

So life balance that is not wasted, nor should the Basin. Buddha taught four principles to balance daily life are: 1. No sexual passion; 2. No alcohol enthusiasts; 3. Not gambling enthusiasts; 4. Not deal with the wicked. If the four-door was closed, the property will not be lost, the owner will live peacefully.

II. Four methods lead to happiness, happiness for the future

Buddhism teaches you to improve is to cultivate trust, moral growth, giving and learning to cultivate wisdom. That's four things to live peacefully in the future.

a. First, the full trust.

Buddhists take refuge in the Three Jewels is to fulfill the trust.

b. Second, moral growth.

Buddhist ordination is fulfilled morality. As Buddhists, but not to preserve morality, act evil and ﹬ not worthy of the teachings of the Buddha, despite claiming to be a Buddhist is not Buddhist. So new full moral worth is the Buddha.

c. Third, learning is giving.

Giving is the first well that the Buddha taught us to practice. People because of greed heads should cause all evil. Want for it, charity. Giving is sharing material, ability, power, knowledge, love, teachings ... is what we have that others do not have. A smile with someone who's also a fear of giving. Giving the best is to open our hearts and expand minds. If only collected without knowing more, he is the Basin and selfish. If only society of such people, then society would not be happy. A family who also think of themselves, their families did not have peace. Giving first is lust, end Basin and especially an end to envy. Once there, right, title ... that they want alms share, how to do? When people respect, then we have to respect by virtue of humility, which is also a form of giving. Such generosity does not create happiness for people, but also peace for yourself. Therefore, not only the amount of generosity be that wide should understand that the one body, the mind is able alms. If in mind everyone always think to charity, competition, contention t greedy , Basin will reduce a lot.

d. Fourth, to cultivate wisdom.

Was the son of General enlightened Buddhists. He has enlightened the universe, understanding beings character, so he taught fit enough all radical and level of the class of beings. Beings so that nurture my soul. The son of the enlightened Buddhists but also the ignorance, it is not worthy, hence the need to develop the mind. Buddha said: "All the circulation of karmic cause and effect". Hearing this, we need to consider how? Listen to a text property, is considered private property. Property, means listening, but listening to right, must have a tail. There are people to listen to the sermon, someone asked, the only answer: very good but I do not remember. What to remember when a little, to think and practice, ie religious property. Tu property is follow the teachings of their own experience. Through cultural practices, from which new practitioners to understand the Buddha's teaching that new practice results.

Once upon a time the Buddha through the field, with Venerable Ananda most. Suddenly he put his hand into a bush and said: Single beam, Ananda! Venerable Ananda looked at also said: Great toxic soap, The Sun!

By chance a farmer go after eavesdropping, came into view something, he discovered a pot full of gold, very glad secretly told: Exalted heard the spots Necessarily, something also know that this is yes, you say it is snake! He immediately carried gold, purchased a house, land, vehicles. Impoverished neighbors that he has long identified, eat day care meals tomorrow, now suddenly enriched, not from doubt, so they up the office. Referred to interrogate and home searched, took all the gold and jewels, and ordered him jailed. Sitting in a dungeon, the his poignant new Buddha's teachings, thought that from now on will be eat sorghum fine, on the other hand being hungry. Think this will be the wide door, turned out to be in prison, appreciate Buddha's teachings, he shouted: "Single soap, Ananda! General toxic soap, The Sun".

Hell keep hearing, asked the reason, he tells the tail story then concludes: This Moment in prison, I wake up, new information to understand the Buddha's teaching is very deep!

Listen to the story, it is not easy today we are Buddhists, we have to wake up, believe in the teachings of the Buddha. Suppose one fine morning, middle of the road having a bar of gold so we carry on? Must also carry on. So much time life insurance Buddha taught unrealistic pipe dreams! Buddhists, we need to aware, to the Buddha's teaching that even reasonable? Or nothing heavy because of our greed, so we can not ignore?

But without listening to the Buddha's teachings, we use gold another way, but you've heard and we use it a different way. This means that we have to learn how to catch snakes as of communes have taught, if caught behind the tail it to bite back. If you use a trade in the first block down and then start it will not be bitten. Here, it should be noted that not selfish when used. All the egoistic evil, left altruistic things are good. If we take the gold of that selfless work that we know how to catch snakes, not bitten. To generalize, not only gold, but other things are the same. Without wisdom, how can we understand the profound words of the Buddha. If there is wisdom, the farmer did not go to jail. Gold Buddha told poisonous snakes, some people do not believe today is no different from Buddhism says life is suffering, people still do not believe.

Without wisdom, we would like you farmer said: It is impracticable, in life there are many fun things deserve to enjoy much as view xi Guinea, hear new music, opera, video ... How many jokes like that say life is suffering! But who knows that the fun is joy in suffering?

There is wisdom awareness, know the facts before it happens, rather than waiting for it to happen before you know it. Self-location is a bright flame from the heart, makes the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Sensei to see the truth does not need a teacher. That called sensei location, the multitude of self-realization or self-enlightenment holy place. But it is also the result of practice, meticulous practice long long new life.

Have been Buddhists, but for evil done right, not tell the difference between right and wrong or bad, not the wisdom and easy to become superstitious, believe in the evil pagan masters. It is the fourth Buddha taught laymen must develop the mind to be happy in the present and the future.

In the book "What the Buddha Taught" Dr. Wallop Rahula, commented: Those who think that Buddhism is only interested in super high ideals, moral philosophy and thoughts sublime, and not to mention the benefits economic social and human, is wrong. Buddha very interested in human happiness. For him, can not be happy without living a pure life based on moral and spiritual principles. But he knows that a life so difficult in the social conditions and unfavorable material.

Buddhism is not considered material happiness as an end in itself: it is only a means to an end - a more noble end. But it is a very necessary means, necessary to fulfill a higher purpose for human happiness. So Buddhism recognizes the need for some minimum material conditions convenient for spiritual success - even for a Zen monk meditating in a solitary place.

Buddha is not considered a separate life outside the social and economic context. He looked at life in a comprehensive, in all aspects of society, and its political economy. His teachings on ethics, philosophy and spirituality was quite well known. But we know very little, especially in the West, about his teachings in matters social, economic and political. Yet many of his lectures to discuss these issues scattered throughout the ancient Buddhist texts. Let's take just a few examples: The cakkavatti Lion amalgams (Cakkvattisihanada-sutta, The economic, Dighanikaya field) No. 26, stating that poverty (daliddiya) is the cause of the infidel and evil as stealing, borrowing, violence, hatred, cruelty, etc. The ancient kings, as well as the government today, trying to suppress sin by punishment. Economic Kutadantasutta covered it explains the futility of punishment, said that approach will never succeed. Instead, the Buddha suggested that, to eradicate the sin, it is necessary to improve the economic conditions of the people: the need to provide for tenant farmers and farmer seed and other planting media, which must be provided to the merchants and traders; adequate wages should be paid to the employee. When people are offered the opportunity to earn a full income they will be content, not fear and anxiety so that the country will be peaceful and without sin.

Therefore, the Buddha taught the lay importance of improving economic conditions. This does not mean he agrees asset accumulation with thirst and binding, because it is contrary to His teachings, and His nor endorsed any means of livelihood. There are several commercial jobs such as production and sale of weapons prohibited by Him, as the means of subsistence is not true as we have seen before.

Sometimes the Buddha went into details about saving money and consumption, such as when he told the young man Sigala that he should use 1/4 of income on daily spending, half the income to investment in the business and set aside 1/4 as endangered.

One day the Buddha Anathapindika (Anàthapindika) a renowned businessman, one of the most devout disciples at His fill for his monastery States-had (Jetavana) useful list in Xa-defense (Savatthi) that a lay person daily life, there are four kinds of happiness:

- The first beneficiary is a guarantee of full economic or property acquired by legitimate means (lost property - atthi-sukha);
- the second is consumer property ye broadly her, for her family, friends and in the the merits (Life of Us - bhoga-sukha);
- Tuesday is no debt (left radio communication - anana-sukha);
- Wednesday is live pure life, without committing evil in thought, speech or behavior (innocent optimism - anavajja-sukha).

Here we must note that in the first four, three are economic, and finally the Buddha referred to the merchant knows that the physical and economic happiness is not "worth a sixteenth part" of the well- welfare arising from a life of soul and honest mistakes.

From the above examples, we can see that the Buddha considered economic comfort is essential to human happiness, but he does not recognize the progress was true, if it is purely physical, with no a moral and spiritual foundation. While encouraging material progress, Buddhism always emphasizes the moral and spiritual development to create a peaceful society at peace. (Tri Hai translation, Express Van Hanh University, published in 1974).

In short, the Buddha taught that all people in four peace for the present is: Remove shoulder, protection of the genuine improvements in training, make friends with friendly and regulate life balance. And four of creating happiness for the future, progeny are: Trust, morality, generosity and wisdom. Having eight such things, moments, where we also deserve a Buddhist, not the benefits for themselves, but also many other benefits. So Buddhists want upholding dharma new job requires wisdom, achieve fulfillment. END=VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY THICH CHAN TANH.WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER.( VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUNS.GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY.9/9/2012.NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.