
                         A SIMPLE GUIDE TO LIFE

                                   by
                             Robert Bogoda

                           ISBN 955-24-0125-9

                   
                      Wheel Publication No. 397/398

              Copyright 1994 Buddhist Publication Society


                      BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
                      KANDY              Sri Lanka


                                 * * *


                         DharmaNet Edition 1995

             Transcribed directly from BPS Pagemaker files
                        Formatting: John Bullitt

        This electronic edition is offered for free distribution
            via DharmaNet by arrangement with the publisher.

                        DharmaNet International
                 P.O. Box 4951, Berkeley CA 94704-4951
                                          
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                                CONTENTS
     
    Introduction
    A Simple Guide to Life
        1.  The Right View of Life
        2.  Benefits of Right Understanding
        3.  A Life Plan
        4.  Obstacles
        5.  Relaxation
        6.  Observing the Five Precepts
        7.  Controlling the Emotions
        8.  Beware of Bias and Propaganda
        9.  A Happy Family Life
        10. The Practice of Benevolence
        11. Freeing the Mind
        12. Mindfulness of Breathing
        13. Facing Death with Equanimity
        14. The Good Buddhist
     About the Author

                            
                            * * * * * * * *

                              INTRODUCTION

  
  Innumerable books have been written about Buddhism, but most of these 
  are far too exhaustive, too specialized, or too scholarly to be of 
  much practical help to the busy lay Buddhist in search of concise 
  guidance. A short, clear, and simple handbook on how to live a proper 
  Buddhist lay life was therefore a much felt need. The present essay 
  attempts to fill that gap by providing exactly what its title offers: 
  A Simple Guide to Life.
  
    For easy reference the essay has been divided into short, convenient 
  sections. The first section is theoretical in emphasis. It attempts to 
  fix in the reader's mind the essential principles of the Buddha's 
  teaching, without complicated and sophisticated explanations. The 
  principles discussed here should serve as a clear-cut philosophy of 
  life, a framework which illuminates the meaning and purpose of the 
  Buddhist life. These principles will enable the lay Buddhist to 
  understand his or her place in the larger scheme of things, to order 
  priorities, and to devise a proper way to achieve them. The lack of a 
  clear philosophy of life, so widespread today, is largely responsible 
  for the steady decline in ethical standards, both individually and 
  socially, in Sri Lanka and in the world as a whole.
    
    The second section is concerned with the practical implications of 
  adopting the understanding of existence sketched in the first section. 
  We here examine the visible benefits of accepting the Buddha-Dhamma as 
  a way of thinking and living; in this section we will also throw a 
  sidelong glance at what happens to a society when spiritual values are 
  abandoned in favour of an exclusive stress on material development.
    
    The next two sections discuss respectively the need to draw up an 
  individual life plan and the obstacles likely to impede the successful 
  implementation of that plan. The central problem of a Buddhist lay 
  follower is to combine a successful lay life with Buddhist moral and 
  spiritual principles. This problem can be solved by organizing one's 
  life as a lay Buddhist within the framework of the Noble Eightfold 
  Path, which represents the Master's teaching in practice. Because some 
  degree of economic security is essential to growth in the Dhamma, the 
  Buddha was concerned with the material welfare of his lay disciples as 
  much as with their spiritual development. He did not deter them from 
  seeking mundane happiness, but he stressed that in pursuing mundane 
  goals, the lay Buddhist should take great care to avoid breaking the 
  basic rules of morality. These rules are summed up in the Five 
  Precepts of virtue, the minimum code of ethics to be followed by a 
  Buddhist householder. As the Five Precepts are thus of such 
  fundamental importance to a Buddhist lay follower, a separate section 
  is devoted to discussing them.
    
    The remaining sections of the essay show how to apply the basic 
  principles of Buddhism to the other major areas of a Buddhist 
  householder's life. The essay ends with a section briefly describing 
  what is expected of an ideal lay Buddhist in daily life. The guiding 
  maxim of the entire essay is: A little well done is better than a lot 
  poorly done.
    
    To sum up: The Buddha's teaching, which is unique in its 
  completeness, is the most rational and consistent plan for wholesome 
  living. It is not based on dogma or blind faith, but on facts and 
  verifiable conclusions. It therefore offers a reasonable way of life 
  which should be attractive to any thinking person. Moreover, the
  Dhamma is completely compatible with the advances of modern science 
  and does not require clever reinterpretations to avoid clashes with 
  scientific discoveries.
    
    The mere fact of accepting Buddhism intellectually, however, will 
  not ensure happiness and security. To yield its fruit the Buddha's 
  teaching has to be utilized intelligently and constructively in all 
  the activities of our daily life. It has to be adopted, adapted, and 
  applied until all its basic principles are absorbed and made habitual 
  by repeated practice, for a theoretical knowledge of Buddhism is 
  insufficient in itself.
    
    If one wishes to make changes in the changing personality that one 
  now is, these changes will take time and patience. The lofty heights 
  of Nibbana are not to be reached by a sudden leap but by quiet, 
  persistent endeavour over a long period, guided by the Master's 
  teaching. Let us not forget that a journey of a thousand miles begins 
  with a single step. Daily practice, beginning with the strict 
  observance of the Five Precepts, is the way to orderly progress along 
  the path. Even a little practice every day brings the practitioner a 
  little nearer to the goal each day.
    
    I take this opportunity to offer the merit of this gift of Dhamma 
  most gratefully and most devotedly to my parents, now no more. Such a 
  gift excels all other gifts: //Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati//. May it 
  redound to their happiness.

                            * * * * * * * *
  



                         A SIMPLE GUIDE TO LIFE
                                          

                                          
                                          
                       1. The Right View of Life

  
  To be happy, successful, and secure, we must first learn to see 
  ourselves and the world as they truly are and should then shape our 
  everyday activities in keeping with this view. We must also look for 
  solutions to our problems in terms of the relationship of cause and 
  effect, for the universal law of causality operates in the field of 
  human behaviour as much as it does in the physical world. 
  
    The foundation for a fruitful life is an understanding of the moral 
  law of kamma. Kamma is volitional action, action that expresses 
  morally determinate intentions or volitions. We need to recognize 
  clearly that wholesome and unwholesome deeds produce corresponding 
  good and bad results. As a person sows, so shall he reap. Good begets 
  good, and evil begets evil. This retributive power is inherent in 
  volitional action or kamma.
    
    Kamma is also cumulative. Not only do our deeds generate pleasant 
  and painful results, but in their cumulative force they also determine 
  our character. The deeds we perform in any one life are transmitted to 
  future lives in the form of dispositions. These dispositions 
  constitute our character traits.
    
    Inherent in the action is the power of producing its due result. 
  This happens without the intervention or help of any external agency. 
  Buddhism denies the existence of a Creator-God. Kamma is neither fate 
  nor predestination, but our own willed action considered as capable of 
  producing results. Understanding the kammic moral law of cause and 
  effect, we will learn to control our actions in order to serve our own 
  welfare as well as to promote the good of others. 
    
    There are ten unwholesome courses of action 
  (//akusala-kammapatha//), deeds which originate from the defilements 
  of greed, hatred, and delusion. These are: killing, stealing, sexual 
  misconduct, lying, slander, harsh speech, useless talk, covetousness, 
  ill will, and false views. Contrary to these, there are ten bases of 
  merit (//punnakiriya-vatthu//), deeds which spring from the virtuous 
  qualities of detachment, goodwill, and wisdom, and which generate 
  wholesome kamma: generosity, morality, meditation, reverence, service, 
  transference of merit, rejoicing in the good deeds of others, hearing 
  the Dhamma, expounding the Dhamma, and straightening out one's views.
    
    It is lack of right understanding and ignorance of the underlying 
  laws of life that account for the prevalence of materialism in today's 
  world, even in the traditional homelands of the Buddha-Dhamma. When 
  people become convinced that everything perishes at death, they lose 
  sight of lofty ethical ideals and become indifferent to the long-range 
  consequences of their deeds. Their entire lives revolve around the 
  blind pursuit of sensual pleasures. Thus we find that today people 
  worship money regardless of how it is earned, hunt for pleasure no 
  matter where it is found, chase power and fame regardless of the cost 
  to their personal integrity.
    
    Ignorance of the law is no valid excuse in a court of law, and so it 
  is with regard to the moral law of kamma: the law operates regardless 
  of whether one believes in it or not, due effects following from their 
  respective causes. Just as an infant will get burnt if it touches fire 
  regardless of whether or not it understands the dangers in playing 
  with fire, so those who violate the laws of morality will have to face 
  the consequences when their kamma ripens, regardless of whether or not 
  they accept the teaching of kamma.
    
    Just as a shadow is connected with an object, so is rebirth 
  connected with kamma. Craving (//tanha//), selfish desire, prompts us 
  to do life-affirming deeds, kamma, volitional action. No force in 
  nature is ever lost, and moral energy is no exception. So long as 
  craving and ignorance remain in the mind, kamma must find expression 
  at death. The inevitable fruit of craving for existence is rebirth.
    
    Buddhism affirms the continuity of the individual life-flux at 
  death, but denies the existence of a permanent soul. Mind is a flux of 
  mental processes without any persisting core, yet this flux, though 
  insubstantial, continues from life to life as long as it is driven on 
  by the thirst for more becoming. The mind of a dying person, owing to 
  the latent craving for continued existence, grasps at some object, 
  idea, or feeling connected with an action done during his lifetime, 
  and this grasping vitalizes an appropriate germ of life. The new form 
  of life may be human or non-human, in keeping with the kamma or moral 
  forces generated during the deceased's lifetime. The germ of life 
  kindled by the process of rebirth is endowed with an initial 
  consciousness (called the patisandhicitta) in which lie latent all the
  past impressions, characteristics, and tendencies of that particular 
  individual. Hence death leads to birth and birth to death. Rebirth is 
  thus possible without a transmigrating soul.
    
    The twin Buddhist doctrines of kamma and rebirth are the "middle 
  way" that provides a satisfactory answer to the problem of life. The 
  middle way avoids the extremes of theism and materialism, preserving 
  moral accountability without the problems raised by positing an 
  almighty yet benevolent God. A human being is the visible expression 
  of his or her own past action. One is born from one's past kamma, 
  supported by one's present kamma, and at death goes where one's 
  accumulated kamma leads one.
    
    Buddhism teaches that human beings evolve according to the quality 
  of the kamma they have performed during their lifetime. This supplies 
  a rational basis for morality in place of the commandments of a 
  Creator-God. According to the Buddha's teachings, there can be 
  regression ("kammic descent") from the human plane to subhuman realms 
  such as the animal world, and progress ("kammic ascent") from the 
  human plane to the heavenly planes. Taking into account the dangers of 
  a fall to subhuman realms, one should always act with care. Virtue, 
  based on a righteous code of conduct, protects one from regression and 
  ensures spiritual progress.
    
    A true follower of the Buddha accepts the moral law of kamma as 
  just, recognizing it as the chief reason for the many inequalities 
  among human beings in regard to health, wealth, and wisdom. He also 
  learns to face life's losses, disappointments, failures, and 
  adversities calmly, without complaining; for he knows that they are 
  the result of his own past misdeeds. If he asks himself: "Why has this 
  happened to me?" the answer will be expressed in terms of action and 
  result. He will try to solve his problems to the best of his ability 
  and will adjust himself to the new situation when external change is 
  not possible. He will not act rashly, nor fall into despair, nor try 
  to escape his difficulties by resorting to drink, drugs, or suicide, 
  as so often happens in Sri Lanka. Such conduct only shows emotional 
  immaturity and ignorance of the Buddha's teachings. 
    
    For a genuine Buddhist, then, one's everyday activities, by way of 
  thought, word, and deed, are more important than anything else in 
  life. A proper understanding of the Buddhist moral law of kamma and 
  rebirth is essential for happy and sensible living and for the welfare 
  of the world. In the Buddha's own words:
  
       The slayer gets a slayer in his turn;
       The conqueror gets one who conquers him; 
       The abuser wins abuse, the annoyer frets.
       Thus by the evolution of the deed, 
       A man who spoils is spoiled in his turn."
       
                 (Samyutta Nikaya, Kosala Samyutta, trans. by Sir Robert 
                 Chalmers)
    
    Although we imagine ourselves to be a self -- a real substantial 
  individual -- according to the Buddha's teaching we are in reality 
  nothing more than a flame-like process, an ever-changing combination 
  of matter and mind, neither of which is the same for two consecutive 
  moments. All the components of our being are impermanent, 
  unsatisfactory, and devoid of self. Life is not a being, an identity, 
  but a becoming; not a product, but a process. There is in actuality no 
  doer, only a doing; no thinker, only a thinking; no goer, only a 
  going.
    
    The Buddha teaches us how to put an end to the beginningless cycle 
  of rebirths in which we undergo the manifold kinds of suffering. The 
  way to end the cycle is by removing the causes that drive it forward 
  life after life. The principal cause is craving, which assumes many 
  forms. Craving impels a person to engage in action (kamma) designed to 
  satisfy the craving, yet as craving is essentially insatiable the 
  result is rebirth. 
    
    Craving is a powerful mental force latent in all unenlightened 
  beings. The cause of craving is ignorance (//avijja//) of the true 
  nature of life: not knowing that life is an ever-changing process, 
  subject to suffering, and totally devoid of a self or core. All life, 
  wherever it is found, bears this same nature: a process stamped with 
  the three marks of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and egolessness 
  (//anicca//, //dukkha//, //anatta//).
    
    The Buddha realized for himself the true nature of life and through 
  this realization attained to something beyond life and death: a 
  reality that is permanent, blissful, and deathless. This state cannot 
  be described but has to be realized inwardly as a matter of direct 
  personal experience; it has to be attained for oneself and by oneself. 
  This ultimate reality, where thought expires in experience, is 
  Nibbana, the goal of the Buddhist path.
    
    The Buddha's teachings may thus be condensed into these four 
  verifiable truths, called the Four Noble Truths: suffering, its cause 
  (i.e. craving), its cessation (i.e. Nibbana), and the way leading to 
  cessation of suffering (i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path). These are 
  eternal truths, truths that do not change and cannot change with time 
  and place.
    
    The only way for us to avoid unhappiness and dissatisfaction is to 
  eliminate the craving that gives birth to it; for everything eagerly 
  sought for and clung to is impermanent. Nothing lasts forever -- no 
  person, no object, no experience. Whatever arises must perish, and to 
  cling to the perishable sooner or later ends in suffering. It is by no 
  means easy to eliminate craving; in fact, it is the most difficult 
  challenge of all. But when we do so, we will reach a state of inward 
  perfection and unshakable calm.
    
    We can reach the end of suffering by cultivating the Noble Eightfold 
  Path in its three stages of morality, concentration, and wisdom -- 
  //sila//, //samadhi//, //panna//. Morality purifies conduct and 
  concentration makes the mind calm. When the mind is calm and 
  concentrated, wisdom arises, clear insight, the knowledge and vision 
  of things as they really are. With the arising of wisdom, craving in 
  all its forms is forever destroyed; the flame of life is then 
  extinguished for want of fuel. The Unconditioned has been won -- 
  Nibbana, which is deathless, blissful, and real.
    
    The Noble Eightfold Path consists of the following eight factors, 
  inter-related and inter-connected, ordered into three groups:
  
  
  Wisdom group (//panna//)
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  
    1. Right understanding: knowledge of the true nature of life; 
       understanding the Four Noble Truths.
    
    2. Right thought: thought free from sensuality, ill-will, and 
       aggression.
    
    
  Morality group (//sila//)
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  
    3. Right speech: abstinence from falsehood, slander, harsh speech, 
       and useless words.
    
    4. Right action: abstinence from killing, stealing, and sexual 
       misconduct.
    
    5. Right livelihood: avoiding any means of livelihood that involves 
       harm or exploitation of others.
  
  
  Concentration group (//samadhi//)
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    6. Right effort: training the mind to avoid unwholesome mental 
       states and to develop wholesome mental states.
    
    7. Right mindfulness: developing the power of attentiveness and 
       awareness in regard to the "four foundations of mindfulness" -- 
       body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena.
    
    8. Right concentration: cultivation of one-pointedness of mind.
  
  
    These eight factors summarize the Buddha's teaching and its 
  practice. They are the very heart of the Buddha-Dhamma. It is not 
  enough to know and admire the Dhamma; it must be practised in daily 
  life, for the difficulty of knowing what is right is nothing compared 
  to the difficulty of putting it into practice. We really know 
  something only when we do it repeatedly, when we make it part of our 
  nature. The practical side of the Dhamma is the threefold training in 
  morality, concentration, and wisdom, which collectively constitute the 
  Noble Eightfold Path, the "middle way" discovered by the Blessed One 
  for the realization of Nibbana.
    
    Monastics and laypeople alike tread the same path. Both start from 
  the same foundation, right understanding; both pursue the same goal, 
  Nibbana. The only difference lies in the degree of commitment to the 
  practice and the pace of progress. But whether as a layperson or as a 
  monk, the systematic practice of the Eightfold Path will foster the 
  growth of the wholesome qualities leading to liberation -- generosity, 
  goodwill, and wisdom. As these qualities gradually reach maturity, 
  they will weaken and finally snap the fetters of greed, hatred, and 
  delusion which have held us for so long in bondage to the round of 
  rebirth and suffering. 
  
  
                                 * * *

                                          
                                          
                   2. Benefits of Right Understanding


  1. Right understanding is the foundation for developing a proper sense
  of values, so sorely lacking in our age. Without right understanding 
  our vision is dimmed and the way is lost; all our efforts will be 
  misguided and misdirected, all our plans for individual and social 
  development must flounder and fail. Such plans will have to be based 
  on the Eightfold Path with its emphasis on self-effort, self-control, 
  and respect for the individual. 
  
    When wrong views prevail we will operate with a perverted sense of 
  values: we will fling ourselves into the blind pursuit of wealth, 
  power, and possessions; we will be obsessed by the urge to conquer and 
  dominate; we will pine for ruthless revenge; we will dumbly conform to 
  social conventions and norms. Right views will point us towards an 
  enlightened sense of values: towards detachment and kindness; towards 
  generosity of spirit and selfless service to others; towards the 
  pursuit of wisdom and understanding. The confusion and moral lunacy 
  now prevalent in the world can be eased, if not eliminated, if the 
  path of the Buddha is followed. Right livelihood and right action, for 
  instance, can help us avoid the conflicts that result from a wrong way 
  of life and wrong action, thereby enabling a society to live in peace 
  and harmony.
    
    Although in the affluent countries of the West people now enjoy high 
  standards of goods and services, the inward quality of their lives 
  does not bear evidence of a corresponding level of improvement. The 
  reason for the poverty of their interior life is the neglect of 
  spiritual values. When materialism erodes the higher spiritual 
  dimension of life, a plunge into moral nihilism is bound to follow. We 
  see this in the alarming statistics characteristic of materialist 
  society: in the increased rate of suicide, in the explosion of crime, 
  in the proliferation of sexual offenses, alcoholism, and drug abuse. 
  This shows that a one-sided stress on material development in a 
  pleasure-seeking society is ultimately self-destructive, like a piece 
  of iron that is devoured by the rust arising from within itself. Even 
  knowledge and discipline on their own are not adequate, for without 
  moral ideals they may turn a society into nothing more than a 
  mass-scale workshop or military camp. It is only the cultivation of a 
  proper sense of values that can make society cultured and civilized in 
  the true meaning of those terms.
    
    2. Having right understanding will enable us to recognize that 
  worldly values are man-made and relative. These false worldly values 
  lead people astray and make them suffer in vain. A Buddha teaches 
  authentic values, real values, values that are grounded in timeless 
  truth. A Buddha first realizes for himself the true nature of life, 
  then he reveals to blind worldlings the Dhamma, the eternal law of 
  righteousness and truth. This Dhamma includes the Four Noble Truths 
  and the principles of kamma and rebirth. Any values that deviate from 
  these principles, no matter how widely they may be accepted as the 
  common norm, are worthless and deceptive. While those whose minds are 
  shrouded in wrong views will be deceived by them, one with right view 
  will realize their hollowness at once.
    
    3. Seeing that life involves incessant change and that it is subject 
  to many forms of suffering, one with right understanding learns to 
  live simply and to regulate desire. A wise and virtuous person is 
  moderate in his desires and follows the middle way in all matters. 
  Understanding the close connection between craving and suffering, he 
  will realize the importance of holding desire in check by simple 
  living. One with right understanding is aware that real happiness is 
  an inward state -- a quality of the mind -- and should therefore be 
  sought inwardly. Happiness is independent of external things, though 
  of course a certain degree of material security is necessary as a 
  basis for inner development.
    
    We require only four basic kinds of physical sustenance: wholesome 
  food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Complementary to these, we have 
  four mental needs: right knowledge, virtue, guarding the doors of the 
  senses, and meditation. These are the two sets of basic requisites for 
  leading a lofty life. Living simply, without superfluous possessions 
  and entanglements, leads to contentment and peace of mind, releasing 
  time and energy to pursue higher virtues and values. It is pride and 
  vanity that keep us tied to false goals, and the smaller the mind, the 
  greater is the pride.
    
    4. Buddhism upholds the objectivity of moral values, for its ethics 
  is based on the law of cause and effect in the moral sphere, and this 
  law, like the physical law of gravity, is an unvarying truth valid for 
  all time. Good deeds and bad deeds will produce their respective 
  pleasant and painful fruits regardless of the views and wishes of the 
  people who engage in them. Recognizing the objectivity of the moral 
  law and the undeviating connection between deeds and their results, a 
  person with right view will abstain from wrong actions and adhere to 
  the standards of wholesome conduct embodied in the Five Precepts of 
  virtuous conduct (discussed below).
    
    5. As instability is inherent in life, the most unexpected things 
  can happen. Therefore the wise Buddhist recognizes the need to control 
  his feelings. When calamity comes, we must face it calmly, without 
  lamenting or falling into despair. The ability to remain equanimous 
  amidst the fluctuations of fortune is a benefit of right 
  understanding. We should understand that everything that happens to us 
  happens because of causes and conditions for which we are ultimately 
  responsible. Similarly, as we obtain some degree of emotional control, 
  we will be able to discard irrational fears and worries. The seeming 
  injustices of life, grievances, emotional maladjustments, etc., are 
  all explained fully and rationally by the law of kamma and rebirth. By 
  understanding this law, we will see that, in the final analysis, we 
  are the architects of our own destiny.
    
    6. A further fruit of right understanding is the ability to look at 
  people, things, and events objectively, stripped bare of likes and 
  dislikes, of bias and prejudice. This capacity for objectivity, a sign 
  of true mental maturity, will issue in clearer thinking, saner living, 
  a marked reduction of susceptibility to the pernicious influence of 
  the mass media, and an improvement in inter-personal relationships.
    
    7. One with right understanding will be able to think for himself. 
  He is able to make up his own mind, to form his own opinions, to face 
  life's difficulties armed with the principles of reality taught by the 
  Buddha. The true Buddhist will not be a moral and intellectual coward, 
  but will be prepared to stand alone regardless of what others say or 
  think. Of course, he will seek advice when necessary, but he will make 
  his own decisions and have the courage of his convictions.
    
    8. Right understanding will give us a purpose for living. A lay 
  Buddhist must learn to live purposefully, with a worthy aim -- both an 
  immediate aim and an ultimate aim, the one fitting harmoniously into 
  the other. To be truly happy we require a simple but sound philosophy 
  of life. Philosophy is the keen desire to understand the nature of man 
  and our destiny in the universe. It gives life a sense of direction 
  and meaning. Without one, we either dream our way through life or 
  muddle through life.  A clear-cut philosophy makes life meaningful and 
  fruitful, enabling us to live in harmony with our fellows and with the 
  natural environment.
    
  
                                 * * *
                                          

             

                             3. A Life Plan

  
  To make the best use of our human potential, we need not only a 
  practical aim in life, but a life plan for achieving that aim. The 
  preceding two sections of this essay show the groundwork for 
  developing a proper sense of values, the values essential for gaining 
  happiness, success, and security within the mundane life and for 
  progressing towards the ultimate goal of the Buddhist path, Nibbana. 
  While we walk along the path to liberation, as laypeople we have to 
  live in the world, and our immediate objective will be to make our 
  life in the world both a means to worldly success and a stepping-stone 
  to final liberation.
  
    To accomplish this, we must organize our life within the framework 
  of the Noble Eightfold Path. We can best realize our immediate aims by 
  drawing up an individual life plan in keeping with our powers and 
  circumstances. This life plan must be realistic. It must envisage a 
  realistic development of our innate potential, steering us towards the 
  fullest actualization of our possibilities.
    
    At the start, we require an honest understanding of ourselves. It is 
  pointless to devise a workable life plan on the foundation stone of 
  grandiose delusions about our character and abilities. The more we 
  find out about ourselves, by self-observation and self-examination, 
  the better will be our chances of self-improvement. We should ask 
  ourselves how far and to what degree we are generous, kind, 
  even-tempered, considerate, honest, sober in morals, truthful, 
  diligent, energetic, industrious, cautious, patient, tolerant, and 
  tactful. These are the qualities of a well-developed Buddhist, the 
  qualities we ourselves should emulate.
    
    We need to improve ourselves wherever we are weak. A little practice 
  everyday is all that is necessary. We should remember that the more 
  often an action is performed, the easier it becomes for us to perform 
  it in the future and the stronger becomes the tendency to do it again 
  and again until it becomes a habit, an ingrained part of our 
  character.
    
    Our life plan should cover all the main areas of a normal 
  householder's life, including occupation, marriage, the procreation 
  and raising of children, retirement, old age and death. The happiness 
  of lay life consists in finding out exactly what one can do and doing 
  it well. A clear mental picture of a practical aim in life and a 
  realistic sketch of the steps needed to achieve that aim will help 
  guide us to the fulfilment of our ideal. We tend to become what we 
  really want to be, provided we act realistically and effectively to 
  realize our aim.
  
  
                                 * * *
                                          

             
                              4. Obstacles

  
  The following five states are likely to prevent or block the success 
  of our efforts to lead the upright life of a Buddhist lay follower. 
  They are called by the Buddha the five mental hindrances 
  (//pancanivarana//) because they close the doors to both spiritual and 
  worldly progress. Although the Buddha originally taught them as the 
  main obstacles to meditation, with a little reflection we can see that 
  they are equally detrimental to success in our mundane undertakings.
  
    1. The first of the five hindrances is //sensual craving//, 
  obsessive hankering for possessions or for the gratification of the 
  senses. While the lay Buddhist will seek wealth and possessions as an 
  integral part of mundane happiness, he will also be aware of the 
  limits to be observed in their pursuit.He will recognize that if one 
  obtains wealth and position by unjust means, or becomes excessively 
  attached to them, they will become a source of misery and despair 
  rather than of joy and contentment. Money alone cannot solve all our 
  problems. Many people never learn this, and spend their time and 
  energy accumulating wealth and the so-called "good things" it can buy. 
  But in fact, the more they acquire the more they want. Such people can 
  never find happiness. A lay Buddhist must be moderate in all things. 
  Extreme desires -- for riches, the enjoyment of sex, liquor, the 
  ostentatious display of one's success -- are sure signs of internal 
  insecurity, things to be avoided.
    
    2. //Ill will// or hatred, the second hindrance, is the emotional 
  opposite of desire, yet it is an equally potent obstacle to personal 
  development. Because we are attracted to desirable things, we are 
  repelled by what is undesirable. Like and dislike are the two forces 
  that delude the world, leading people astray into conflict and 
  confusion and drenching the earth with blood. Both are born of 
  ignorance. Desire colours everything in tinsel and drives us to 
  acquire what we want. Hatred colours everything black and drives us to 
  destroy what we suspect is inimical to our interests. The best way to 
  overcome hatred is by cultivating lovingkindness, explained later in 
  this essay.
    
    3. //Indolence and mental inertia// is the next hindrance, the 
  obstacle to strenuous effort. The lazy person is not inclined to 
  strive for correct understanding or high standards of conduct. He is a 
  drifter or a dreamer, easy prey to the thieves of craving and hatred.
    
    4. //Restlessness and worry// are twin hindrances very much in 
  evidence today. Restlessness is manifest in the agitation, impatience, 
  thirst for excitement, and unsettled character of our daily existence. 
  Worry is the guilt and remorse that one feels when one broods sadly or 
  regretfully over an evil deed that has been done or a good deed left 
  undone. The best remedy for a lapse or transgression already committed 
  is to decide never to repeat it; the best remedy for neglecting to do 
  good is to do it without delay.
    
    5. The last hindrance is //doubt//. Doubt is the inability to 
  decide, the lack of resolution that prevents one from making a firm 
  commitment to higher ideals and from pursuing the good with a steady 
  will. 
    
    These five hindrances are great handicaps to one's progress. They 
  deprive the mind of understanding and happiness and cause much 
  unnecessary suffering. By cultivating the five cardinal virtues -- 
  confidence, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom -- and by 
  constant effort one can reduce their harmful influence.
  
  
                                 * * *
                                          

            
                             5. Relaxation

  
  Modern life is full of stress and strain. Therefore relaxation is a 
  necessary ingredient of happiness. By understanding the causes of 
  stress and by regulating these causes, we can live calmly even in the 
  midst of strenuous activity.
  
    Hard work without tension never killed anyone. Why is it then that 
  some people always work anxiously and feverishly? Generally, such a 
  person is driven by craving, by intense desire. He wants to achieve 
  his goal so eagerly, with such avidity, that he simply cannot rest 
  until he gets it; or he is so fearful of losing something he prizes 
  that he cannot relax and enjoy the present moment; or he is driven by 
  resentment against those who obstruct his thirst; or he is constantly 
  hankering after power, position, and prestige on account of some 
  irrational need to prove his worth to himself and others.
    
    If a person wants to avoid stress and strain, then he will have to 
  train his mind to view everything he encounters -- persons, objects, 
  events, and experiences -- realistically, as transient phenomena, 
  dependently arisen through conditions. He should reflect upon them in 
  terms of the three characteristics -- as impermanent, unsatisfactory, 
  and without a self. Doing so will help to reduce the investment of 
  self-concern in these phenomena, and thereby will reduce the craving 
  and attachment for them. He should also avoid anger, anxiety, and 
  pride -- the thoughts of "me" and "mine" -- since such emotions are 
  productive of stress and strain. When one adopts this attitude to 
  life, one will discover greater detachment, deeper calm, more durable 
  peace of heart even amidst the same situations that previously 
  produced nothing but stress and worry. The key to managing stress is 
  through the disciplining and mastery of the mind.
    
    One can also reduce stress by forming good work habits. One should 
  confine oneself to doing one thing at a time, since attempts to juggle 
  multiple tasks only lead to poor results in all of them. One should 
  keep work and leisure separate. One should work in a relaxed frame of 
  mind, repeatedly reminding oneself during the course of the day that 
  one can accomplish more work and better work if one works calmly and 
  intersperses one's routine with breaks.
    
    The following additional disciplines will also be helpful in 
  combatting stress and tension:
    
    1. Keeping the Five Precepts conscientiously. The feeling of guilt 
  increases stress. By observing the precepts, a person leads a 
  blameless life and thereby enjoys freedom from the nagging sense of 
  guilt that harasses one who violates the basic rules of morality. A 
  guilty conscience is a vexing companion during the day, an 
  uncomfortable bed-fellow at night.
    
    2. Sense control. The mind is constantly attracted to pleasant sense 
  objects and repelled by unpleasant objects. Wandering recklessly among 
  the objective fields, it becomes scattered and distraught. By guarding 
  the sense doors, this wasteful agitation is checked. The mind becomes 
  calm and settled, and as a result one experiences an unblemished 
  happiness.
    
    3. Meditation. Meditation, or //bhavana//, purifies the mind. As the 
  mind is gradually cleansed, one can see with greater clarity the true 
  nature of life. One then becomes increasingly detached from worldly 
  things and develops an equanimity that cannot be shaken by the 
  fluctuations of fortune.
    
    4. Cultivating the four sublime attitudes. The four sublime 
  attitudes (//brahmavihara//) are lovingkindness, compassion, 
  altruistic joy, and equanimity. These are enlightened emotions that 
  reduce the stress and strain of daily life, improve interpersonal 
  relationships at home and in the workplace, promote racial accord and 
  amity, help in the development of an even mind, and increase calm and 
  inner peace.
    
    5. One final piece of practical advice: Time, energy, and funds are 
  limited, while wants are unlimited. Therefore a person must have a 
  sense of priorities. A lay Buddhist, in particular, must be able to 
  discriminate: to know what is really essential to a wholesome life; 
  what is desirable but not urgent; what is trivial and dispensable; and 
  what is detrimental. Having made these distinctions, one must pursue 
  what ranks high in the scale of priorities and eschew what ranks low. 
  This will enable one to avoid unnecessary waste and worry, and help to 
  promote balanced, frugal living.
    
    
                                 * * *
                                          

             
                     6. Observing the Five Precepts

  
  The minimal code of ethics followed by a lay Buddhist is the Five 
  Precepts of virtue (//pancasila//). These precepts are moral rules 
  voluntarily undertaken to promote the purity of one's own conduct and 
  to avoid causing harm and suffering to others. Evil conduct is harmful 
  to oneself and others and strengthens the defilements of greed, 
  hatred, and delusion. To engage in unwholesome activity is not merely 
  a matter of free choice: it is a violation of the cosmic moral law 
  entailing inevitable suffering both in this life and in future 
  existences. The opposite of evil conduct is virtue (//sila//). Virtue 
  involves the avoidance of immoral deeds by voluntarily accepting 
  ethical principles of restraint. Virtuous action springs from the 
  three wholesome roots of non-attachment, goodwill, and wisdom. By 
  undertaking moral precepts one pledges to regulate one's conduct in 
  accordance with these three virtuous qualities.
  
    The Five Precepts are as follows:
  
    1. To abstain from killing living beings;
    
    2. To abstain from taking what is not given, i.e. from   stealing;
    
    3. To abstain from sexual misconduct;
    
    4. To abstain from false speech;
    
    5. To abstain from intoxicants and harmful drugs.
    
    
    Following the Five Precepts also implies shunning the five kinds of 
  occupation forbidden to a lay Buddhist: trading in arms, in human 
  beings (i.e. including slavery and prostitution), in flesh (i.e. 
  breeding animals for slaughter), in intoxicants, and in poisons.
  
    Virtue, though formulated negatively in the precepts, is not a mere 
  negative state. To the contrary, it is most decidedly a powerful 
  mental achievement. To observe the precepts conscientiously in one's 
  daily life brings a simultaneous growth in mental purity, skilfulness, 
  and wisdom. Refraining from killing, for example, increases compassion 
  and lovingkindness for all living beings, two of the "sublime 
  attitudes" extolled by the Buddha. Honesty gives courage, generosity, 
  and love of justice. Sexual restraint results in physical strength, 
  vitality, and keenness of the senses. Truthfulness makes for 
  uprightness. Avoiding intoxicants and stupefying drugs promotes 
  clarity of mind. Finally, mindfulness is essential to observing all 
  the precepts, and one's constant effort to maintain the precepts in 
  turn issues in an increase in the clarity of mindfulness.
    
    The habitual practice of the Five Precepts leads to increased 
  self-control and strength of character. The mind that succeeds in 
  controlling desire, even to a slight degree, gains in power. Desire is 
  a force every bit as real as electricity. When desire is uncontrolled, 
  allowed to run riot, it expends itself in the pursuit of things that 
  are harmful to oneself and others. The Buddha's teaching, far from 
  encouraging the proliferation of desire, counsels us in the methods by 
  which we may harness, divert, and sublimate the powerful force of 
  desire and use it for worthy ends. 
    
    Virtue is the first stage in the development of the Noble Eightfold 
  Path; as explained above, it comprises the path factors of Right 
  Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. The energy conserved by 
  virtue is then used for the practice of the second stage, 
  concentration of mind, which in turn is the soil for the growth of 
  wisdom. 
    
    The observance of the Five Precepts is a voluntary act which each 
  individual must take up on his or her own initiative. The Buddha did 
  not formulate the precepts as commandments, nor did he threaten anyone 
  with punishment for violating them. However, this much has to be said: 
  The Buddha perfectly understood the workings of the universe, and he 
  proclaimed the inviolable moral law of cause and effect: good deeds 
  beget pleasant fruits, evil deeds beget painful fruits. The Five 
  Precepts are the guidelines the Buddha has bequeathed us to steer us 
  away from evil conduct and towards the lines of conduct that will 
  prove most beneficial for ourselves and others. When we mould our 
  actions by the Five Precepts, we are acting in accordance with the 
  Dhamma, avoiding future misery and building up protection and 
  happiness for ourselves and others both here and in the hereafter. 
  Thus the closer we live to the Five Precepts, the greater will be the 
  blessing power of our lives.
  

                                 * * *
                                          
  

                      7. Controlling the Emotions

  
  An emotion is a state of deep feeling, an "inward stirring" which can 
  act as a motivation for action. Emotions are often associated with the 
  instincts, the inborn tendencies to act in specific ways in specific 
  situations. Human beings are conditioned to a very great extent by 
  their emotions, by their likes and dislikes. Too often their emotions 
  are biased by self-interest and egotism, even to the extent that they 
  overwhelm sense and reason, compelling us to act in ways that, in 
  saner moments, we regard with dismay.
  
    Emotions generally arise in response to the spontaneous evaluation 
  of perceptions. A person evaluates his or her percepts -- of another 
  person, an object, a situation -- as desirable or undesirable, as 
  helpful or as threatening. On the basis of this evaluation an emotion 
  will arise in response to the situation: desire for those things 
  positively evaluated, aversion or fear towards those things seen in a 
  negative light. Emotions may be harmful, such as lust, anger, and 
  fear, or wholesome, such as sympathy and compassion. While desire and 
  aversion are the prototypes of the unwholesome emotions, 
  lovingkindness and compassion are outstanding examples of emotions 
  that ennoble us and elevate human nature. 
    
    People vary widely in their emotional development and in the range 
  and strength of their emotions. While one person is passionate and 
  impulsive, another is cool and reflective; while one is quick to 
  anger, another is patient; while one is emotionally impassive, another 
  is capable of running through a wide range of emotions in less time 
  than a finger snap. One important reason for these differences is that 
  each individual brings along a different kammic inheritance of 
  tendencies and character traits from previous lives. Whether emotions 
  are repressed or expressed, indulged in or sublimated, depends on a 
  combination of factors: innate temperament, family background, and the 
  ethos and traditions of the larger society.
    
    We cannot grow in the Dhamma or find happiness without some degree 
  of emotional control. A person who easily gets angry spoils his own 
  happiness and disturbs the peace of mind of others as well. 
  Instinctive emotions are the raw material of character. If an 
  instinctive impulse is misdirected or repressed, much harm and 
  suffering may ensue. But if the energy that is normally channeled into 
  this emotion is redirected towards a worthy object, the force of the 
  emotion will be sublimated in a way that results in great benefit to 
  oneself and to the community. For the Buddhist, the worthiest of all 
  ideals is the attainment of Nibbana; hence it is the quest for this 
  ideal that has the capacity to absorb and transform our emotional 
  life. Such a noble ideal has the power of evoking and harmonizing all 
  our emotional energies so that they guide us towards the realization 
  of our ultimate good.
    
    Without deliberate effort, emotions will not be under the direct 
  control of the will. The Buddhist training aims at mastering the 
  emotions. The first step in gaining such mastery is the observance of 
  the Five Precepts. Practising the precepts in everyday life will help 
  us to control the grosser forms of craving and emotion. The next step 
  is to train the mind to control the emotions just as they begin to 
  arise. This is accomplished by mindfulness: by objectively watching, 
  with close attention, the emotions that arise and swiftly ascribing a 
  name to them, a mental label thus: "mind with lust," "mind with 
  anger," "mind with jealousy," "mind with sorrow," etc. Once we have 
  named the emotion, we are then in a better position to let it go, 
  without being swept away by it. The moment one calmly registers the 
  fact that one is angry -- when one is aware of the fact that a mind 
  with anger has arisen -- one then ceases to be angry. A mind that is 
  occupied with the wholesome thought of mindful awareness has no scope 
  within it simultaneously for an unwholesome thought of anger.
    
    This same procedure should be adopted with any other harmful emotion 
  that arises. At the start it may prove helpful if, during the course 
  of the day, one mentally repeats to oneself a formula such as: "What 
  am I feeling now?" or "What am I thinking now?" and immediately 
  answers the question thus: "I am feeling angry," or "I am feeling 
  jealous," etc. We should also investigate, even later, when and why 
  anger -- or any other adverse emotion -- overwhelmed us //then//, and 
  thus avoid such situations and responses in the future.
    
    By patient and persistent practice we can gradually gain control 
  over our harmful emotions. The discipline and effort involved is 
  worthwhile, for it will bring greater harmony internally -- in one's 
  own mind -- and externally, in one's relations with others. The key to 
  such control is firm adherence to the basic precepts of morality and, 
  above all, mindfulness of one's own thoughts and emotions.
  
  
                                 * * *
                                          

                    
                    8. Beware of Bias and Propaganda

  
  Buddhism teaches the need for clear thinking, self-control, self-help, 
  and meditation. Although each human being is endowed with a mind, very 
  few of us use that mind to think for ourselves. The great majority of 
  people today allow others to do their thinking for them. 
  
    The mind absorbs a great deal of poison from the outer environment 
  by continuous exposure to suggestions from others. This mental 
  passivity has become especially baneful with the development of the 
  mass media. Radio, television, and newspapers, pulp journals and 
  tabloids, blare their messages at us every minute of the day, and 
  their power of penetration is reinforced by the ingrained human 
  disposition to accept what we are told and to comply with what we are 
  urged to do. Bombarded left and right by ten thousand inducements, we 
  no longer think our own thoughts, feel our own emotions, or initiate 
  our own actions; instead, we think as others want us to think, feel as 
  others want us to feel, act in ways that will win the approval of our 
  peers and superiors. The pull of the crowd has become irresistible.
    
    Every time we open a newspaper, turn on the radio, or sit down 
  before the television set, we are immediately subjected to propaganda, 
  advertising, and subtle social suggestions. This is done daily, 
  deliberately and systematically. All these media are teaching us to 
  suspend our capacity for thought, or if we are to think at all, to 
  think as they would like us to think. Newspapers, for instance, seek 
  to command assent not only by their editorials and opinion columns, 
  but by their layout, language, and lines of emphasis. 
    
    Those who exploit the media in this manner are generally small but 
  powerful groups: the owners and sponsors of the media, advertising 
  agencies, the masters of commerce. Such people are motivated primarily 
  by self-interest, greed for wealth and power, a sense of 
  self-importance. Often they play dominant roles in various walks of 
  life, including politics, business, law, medicine, and education. 
  Among the general public the role of reason tends to be subordinate to 
  that of emotion, while mental inertia and indifference make the 
  conquest of reason easier. Hence, by shaping public opinion through 
  the manipulation of the media, a small minority is able to control the 
  majority. 
    
    Those who comprise this small but powerful minority all have 
  something to sell. Commercial advertisements make us want more and 
  more goods that bring us no real happiness, no real peace of mind. We 
  are told that our felicity depends on having a radio, television, 
  video player, stereo set, and computer games. Yet, however much we 
  deck ourselves with all these instruments of diversion, we still feel 
  our lives painfully lacking. 
    
    The speed, power, and efficiency of all these technological and 
  social developments within a purely materialistic society such as ours 
  has led to a rising incidence of stress disease and mental breakdown. 
  Those who do not crack under pressure find other escape routes, such 
  as drugs, alcohol, and psychotic cults, while for those who cannot 
  cope at all there remains the last resort: suicide, which has reached 
  alarming proportions in our midst. 
    
    How then is a Buddhist to protect himself or herself from the 
  baneful influences to which we are everywhere exposed in the modern 
  world? As lay Buddhists we should always adopt a critical attitude 
  towards the written and spoken word and should always apply 
  mindfulness to protect ourselves from being emotionally swayed by 
  those who seek to win our favour. We should stand back from the topic 
  under review and examine it objectively from all angles. Only after 
  appraising the alternatives should we arrive at a decision or 
  evaluation.
    
    When we hear a particular opinion being voiced, we should make an 
  effort to find out who the writer or speaker is, what interests he or 
  she represents, including political affiliations, religious leanings, 
  and social background. We should also never forget that there are at 
  least two sides to any issue, and that we are more likely to arrive at 
  a correct stand if we first give unbiased consideration to both sides. 
  Before arriving at a conclusion, one should gather all the relevant 
  facts, maintain a calm mind free from emotional excitation, and 
  prevent oneself from being swayed by preferences and anger, praise and 
  blame. The same principle of objective thinking should also be applied 
  to other matters in everyday life.
    
    If we properly understand the working of kamma and rebirth, we will 
  recognize that no one can be alike, and thus we will also avoid 
  drawing comparisons; for this is a world of comparisons as well as of 
  propaganda. The only meaningful comparison that one should make is 
  between the person that one was a month ago, a year ago, or a decade 
  ago, and the person that one is now: physically, intellectually, 
  morally, and financially. If there has been no improvement, or 
  insufficient improvement, one should inquire why this is so and remedy 
  one's deficiencies without delay. If this annual stocktaking is done 
  regularly, it will be most beneficial. Putting aside pride and 
  prejudice, revising one's values and outlook, one will then lead a 
  simpler, saner, and happier life.
  

                                 * * *

                                          
  
                         9. A Happy Family Life

  
  For the adult it is natural to love one person of the opposite sex. 
  The lay Buddhist will recognize that there is nothing "sinful" or 
  shameful in sex, and hence will not suffer from a guilt complex over 
  sexual desire. At the same time he or she will be aware that sexual 
  desire, like any other form of desire, must be regulated and 
  controlled to avoid harm to oneself and to others. 
  
    In a successful marriage the contracting parties must realize that 
  love is a sentiment far wider than sexual attraction. If one person 
  really loves another, he or she has to learn to give without expecting 
  anything in return. Only in this way can the problem of sex be solved 
  satisfactorily. Further, the would-be partners should ask themselves, 
  "What do I expect of my partner?" and should find out objectively to 
  what extent the prospective partner has the requisite qualities. One 
  might enlist the help of a trustworthy, balanced friend who has known 
  the would-be partner for some time and might be in a better position 
  to offer a correct evaluation. There are obvious dangers in being 
  one's own marriage broker. Too often one is inclined to endow the 
  would-be partner with qualities and virtues that she (or he) clearly 
  lacks in the eyes of the unbiased observer. This danger has to be 
  frankly acknowledged, for disillusionment might otherwise set in 
  sooner or later, and then the stage is set for marital discontent and 
  misery.
    
    No doubt, in married life sex is important, but it must be kept in 
  its proper place, as an expression of marital love. Sex is by no means 
  the sole concern of married life; only when it is subordinated to 
  personal love and affection does sexuality provide a truly satisfying 
  emotional experience. Above and beyond sexual compatibility, a happy 
  marriage calls for mutual understanding and adjustments, for 
  sacrifices and selflessness, for tolerance and patience. Married life 
  becomes truly a blessing rather than a curse when it is viewed as a 
  partnership of two persons who are committed to think more of the 
  partnership than they do of themselves, who are ready to make the 
  mutual effort necessary to attain harmony and contentment.
    
    Most married couples hope to have children. Children differ, for 
  each brings his or her own kammic inheritance from many past lives, a 
  kammic inheritance that includes potential tendencies that set the 
  general tone and trend of the child's character. This fact indicates 
  both the responsibilities and the limitations of the parents in the 
  upbringing of their children.
    
    The child spends most of the formative years of his or her life at 
  home, and early in life learns to follow by imitation the values and 
  lifestyle of the parents. Schools and other influential agencies 
  cannot supplant or replace the parents. Buddhist parents should 
  recognize their solemn obligation to serve as models for their 
  children. They should therefore regularly observe the Five Precepts 
  and show their children by example that the Dhamma yet lives and rules 
  their daily lives. Parents must be aware that the child has immense 
  potentials for both good and evil, and thus must fulfil their 
  responsibility to help the child to develop his or her potential for 
  good and to check the potential for evil. It is only if parents bestow 
  their loving care and attention on their child that the child will be 
  able to satisfy the hopes and aspirations of the parents.
  
    The Buddha has advised parents to guide their children, to supply 
  their needs, to see to their education, to give them in marriage at 
  the proper time, and to attend to all other aspects of their 
  well-being. Unfortunately, however, many parents today do not 
  discharge these duties, with the result that too often children go 
  astray. Responsible Buddhist parents must be prepared to forgo their 
  own pleasure in order to attend to the upbringing of their children. 
  They must realize that the home influence is ultimately what matters 
  most in forming the child's character, outweighing all other outside 
  influences to which the child may be exposed. In areas where the 
  parents lack adequate expertise, they should be prepared to consult a 
  non-technical manual on proper child rearing.
    
    The first five years of a child's life are the most crucial in the 
  formation of his or her character, and it is at this stage that they 
  are most susceptible to the influence of the parents. Thereafter the 
  needs of the child change, and will continue to change radically at 
  different stages of development. Parents should remember this and meet 
  the new needs as they arise. 
    
    In the early years three factors are essential for balanced and 
  wholesome growth: parental love and affection; a stable home 
  environment; and scope for creative activity and personal initiative. 
  Young children learn largely by imitation. If parents show emotional 
  maturity, avoid quarrels, respect and trust each other, and do 
  likewise with their children, then the children will develop 
  characters that are sound both morally and psychologically. When the 
  child is brought up with love and understanding, with insight into his 
  or her changing needs, nourished with high ideals and lofty 
  aspirations, then he or she will have a secure foundation upon which 
  to build a character and a future. In this way the very first steps 
  along the Buddha's path will have been well planted. 
    
    Adolescence is a period of stress and strain, when children may be 
  inclined to rebel against parental authority. It is therefore at this 
  stage that the greatest love and understanding are called for. In 
  adolescence, as the sexual instinct awakens, sensible Buddhist parents 
  should be capable of guiding their children and helping them to adjust 
  to the changes taking place in their bodies and their lives. When 
  children ask their parents questions about sex, the parents should be 
  ready to answer them calmly and briefly in a matter-of-fact way, just 
  as they would answer any other question. If parents are unable to tell 
  the adolescent children the facts of life in an unself-conscious 
  manner they might give them a suitable book to enable them to instruct 
  themselves about the subject. Above all, in this age of sexually 
  provocative entertainment, irresponsible promiscuity, and an exploding 
  AIDS epidemic, withholding vital information is not a means of 
  protecting the youngster but of exposing him or her to danger. 
    
    When parental control, supervision, and proper guidance are lacking, 
  the children often incline to delinquency and drugs. Parents should 
  therefore take greater interest in their children, should spend more 
  time with them, should know how they use their leisure, and should 
  make the acquaintance of their friends. Real problem children are few; 
  it is only problem parents who are many. 
    
    As the child reaches maturity it is the duty of the parents to help 
  him wisely choose a suitable career as well as a mate, but the child's 
  wishes in these spheres have to be respected. To order the young 
  person about as if he or she were still a child is only to invite 
  trouble.
    
    Since we live in a world of keen competition in many areas of life, 
  wise Buddhist parents will limit the size of their family in order to 
  give their children the best. In developing countries like Sri Lanka, 
  where the rate of reproduction is generally higher than the rate of 
  production of real wealth, this is a necessary measure to eliminate 
  poverty, especially among the working classes in both town and 
  countryside, whose families are generally large with many dependants. 
  Buddhism is not opposed to population control, except by means of 
  abortion, and with the world's resources dwindling today under dense 
  population pressure, Buddhist parents should recognize the need for 
  family limitation to ensure the best for the children.
    
    In a country like Sri Lanka it is the duty of the state to 
  popularize family limitation by making freely available safe, 
  effective, and inexpensive methods of birth control. Production that 
  is centred on the population at large -- rather than on enhancing the 
  wealth of a privileged few -- using appropriate technology, with just 
  distribution of resources and extensive family planning, will increase 
  real wealth and help to improve the quality of life of the masses, 
  provided they also cultivate a wise sense of values. Otherwise they 
  will always remain poor.
  
    The moral and spiritual edification of the children should accompany 
  their physical and emotional development. As they grow up, parents 
  should teach them the essentials of the Buddha-Dhamma, using simple 
  language and everyday examples. They should explain the working of the 
  moral law of kamma and rebirth, should instruct them in the proper 
  rules of conduct, and should clarify the reasons for practising virtue 
  in daily life. Furthermore, in a Buddhist country children should be 
  regularly taken to the temple, especially on quiet days. They should 
  be enrolled in Dhamma school if such is available, and should be 
  encouraged to ask their questions and discuss their problems with wise 
  and virtuous bhikkhus. The Dhamma, after all, is intended to guide us 
  in how to live this very life we are leading now. It is the art of 
  happiness here and now, and the path to deliverance in the hereafter.
    
    Materialism is steadily eroding traditional values, moral, 
  spiritual, and social. The influence of materialism now reaches even 
  the remote villages, the ancient strongholds of the Buddhist way of 
  life. But young people who have been rightly brought up by Buddhist 
  parents to discover the value of the Dhamma for themselves are 
  unlikely to be led astray.
  
  
                                 * * *

                 
  
                    10. The Practice of Benevolence

  
  The desire to do good, to bring about the happiness and well-being of 
  others, is effectively cultivated in Buddhism by the systematic 
  practice of the four "sublime attitudes" (//brahmavihara//): 
  lovingkindness (//metta//), compassion (//karuna//), altruistic joy 
  (//mudita//), and equanimity (//upekkha//). By cultivating these 
  qualities a Buddhist can gradually remove the mental defilements such 
  as hatred, cruelty, and envy, and bring into being the most exalted 
  virtues. The sublime attitudes elevate human beings to a divine-like 
  stature; they break the barriers that separate individuals and groups; 
  they build bridges more solid than those constructed of stone and 
  steel.
  
    1. //Metta// is goodwill, lovingkindness, universal love; a feeling 
  of friendliness and heartfelt concern for all living beings, human or 
  non-human, in all situations. The chief mark of //metta// is a 
  benevolent attitude: a keen desire to promote the welfare of others. 
  //Metta// subdues the vice of hatred in all its varied shades: anger, 
  ill-will, aversion, and resentment. The Buddha said:
  
       Hatreds do not cease through hatreds
       Anywhere at anytime.
       Through love alone do they cease:
       This is an eternal law. 
                 (Dhp. v. 5)
  
    This stanza is of special significance to us in this nuclear era 
  when the most appalling destructiveness has erupted all over the 
  globe. Peace will never be achieved by meeting force with force, bombs 
  with bombs, violence with retaliation. //Metta// or lovingkindness is 
  the only effective answer to violence and destructiveness, whether by 
  conventional weapons or nuclear missiles.
  
    2. //Karuna// is the attitude conveyed by such terms as compassion, 
  sympathy, pity, and mercy. Its basic characteristic is sympathy for 
  all who suffer, and it arouses a desire to relieve or remove the pain 
  and suffering of others. //Karuna// helps to eliminate callousness and 
  indifference to others' woes. It is the direct antidote to cruelty, 
  another vice common in the world today. It is compassion that prompts 
  one to serve others selflessly, expecting nothing, not even gratitude, 
  in return.
    
    3. //Mudita// is altruistic joy, appreciative joy: the desire to see 
  others rejoicing in their happiness, the ability to share the 
  happiness and success of others. This attitude is the complement of 
  //karuna//: while //karuna// shares the sorrow of others, //mudita// 
  shares their joy. //Mudita// is the direct antidote to envy. Envy 
  arises over the good fortune of others: it resents those who achieve 
  position, prestige, power, and success. But one who practises 
  //mudita// will not only be happy when others do well, but will try to 
  promote their progress and welfare. Hence this attitude is of vital 
  importance for achieving social concord and peace.
  
    4. //Upekkha//, the last of the four sublime attitudes, is 
  equanimity. //Upekkha// establishes an even or balanced mind in an 
  unbalanced world with fluctuating fortunes and circumstances: gain and 
  loss, fame and ill-repute, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. 
  //Upekkha// also looks upon all beings impartially, as heirs to the 
  results of their own actions, without attachment or aversion. 
  //Upekkha// is the serene neutrality of the one who knows. 
    
    The constant, methodical, and deliberate cultivation of these 
  sublime virtues in everyday life transforms the attitudes and outlook 
  of the practitioner. They should be the foundation of all Buddhist 
  social action, as well as of individual and collective peace and 
  harmony. Buddhist social welfare work may take many forms, but what is 
  most essential is the spirit in which it is performed. This spirit 
  should be marked by the subordination of the private good to the good 
  of the whole. For Buddhist social work to be of real value, action 
  should spring from genuine love, sympathy, and understanding for one's 
  fellow humans, guided by knowledge and training. Welfare work should 
  be the perfect expression of compassion, untouched by condescension, 
  washed clean of pride -- even of the pride of doing good. It should be 
  a sheer manifestation of the brotherhood of all human beings.
    
    The four sublime attitudes should be diligently cultivated with 
  unremitting effort by every true follower of the Master. These 
  qualities never become obsolete. They convey a universal message which 
  transforms us into universal human beings.
    
  
                                 * * *
                                          

                                          
                          11. Freeing the Mind

  
  Mind occupies the pre-eminent place in Buddhism, for everything that 
  one says or does first arises in the mind as a thought. To have a 
  well-trained mind is indeed to possess a treasure. When a person 
  trains the mind, turns inward to examine and cleanse his own mind, he 
  will find therein a vast storehouse of happiness. Real happiness is a 
  quality of the mind which has to be sought and found in the mind. The 
  Buddha teaches that non-attachment to worldly pleasures is a greater 
  happiness than the enjoyment of worldly pleasures. Nibbana is the 
  highest happiness, the happiness of relief from suffering and from 
  repeated birth, and this happiness is only to be attained by freeing 
  the mind from its defilements.
  
    The misguided worldling thinks otherwise. In his view the enjoyment 
  of sensual pleasures is the only real happiness. He forgets, however, 
  that sensual happiness arises merely from the gratification of desire, 
  and thus that this happiness must fade when the desired object is 
  obtained. Nor will the multiplication of desires make sensual pleasure 
  permanent, for there is no permanence in the passing. The pursuit of 
  sensual pleasures ends only in restlessness and dissatisfaction.
    
    The aim of Buddhist mental culture is to gain direct intuitive 
  knowledge of the real nature of existence by systematic training of 
  the mind through meditation. This practice issues in detachment and 
  thus frees the mind from its delusions. Meditation leads the mind from 
  the pain-laden things of the world to the sorrowless, transcendent 
  state of deliverance, Nibbana. The basic cause of rebirth and 
  suffering is ignorance of the true nature of life. We consider what is 
  passing, unsatisfactory, and empty to be permanent, a source of true 
  happiness, and substantial. This delusion sustains the craving for 
  more existence and leads to the accumulation of kamma. Meditation is 
  designed to lead step-by-step to the dissolution of these delusions 
  and thereby to freedom from the grip of craving. 
    
    There are two kinds of meditation recognized in Buddhism: the 
  development of tranquillity (//samatha-bhavana//), which emphasizes 
  concentration, and the development of insight (//vipassana-bhavana//), 
  which emphasizes wisdom. These two types of meditation respectively 
  correspond to the second and third groups of the Noble Eightfold Path, 
  the concentration group and the wisdom group. Concentration means 
  one-pointedness of the mind, the ability to fix the mind on a single 
  object to the exclusion of all else. Concentration is not an end in 
  itself, but to be developed primarily because it is the basis for 
  wisdom, the ability to see things exactly as they are. It is this 
  wisdom that frees the mind from bondage.
    
    To train the mind is not at all easy, for the mind has long been 
  accustomed to flow in the channels of greed, hatred, and delusion; 
  through ages we have relished sense pleasures, raged with anger, 
  wallowed in torpor, fidgeted restlessly, and vacillated with doubt. 
  Such habits are indeed difficult to break. Moreover, it is the very 
  nature of the untrained mind to wander from one idea to another. Thus 
  when the meditator sits down to begin the practice, strange thoughts 
  may dance before his mind. To overcome these disturbances, the Buddha 
  has taught five methods of expelling distracting thoughts:
  
    1. Develop a good thought opposed to the distracting one; for 
       example, develop a thought of lovingkindness to expel a thought 
       of hatred.
    
    2. Reflect on the evil consequences of distracting thoughts; for 
       example, ill will or anger may lead to harsh words or an exchange 
       of blows, to making enemies, or to something worse.
    
    3. Turn the mind away from the disturbing thought and fix it on 
       some beneficial idea or towards some useful activity.
    
    4. Trace the cause of the uprisen evil thought and reflect on 
       whether it will serve any useful purpose.
    
    5. Struggle directly with the evil thought to crush it and subdue 
       it.
  
  
    At the outset meditation will be a continual effort to pull the mind 
  back whenever it strays from the subject of meditation. It will seem 
  impossible to focus the attention on the selected subject for more 
  than a few seconds at a stretch. With continued practice, however, one 
  will refine one's skills until one can keep the mind focused steadily 
  and calmly on the chosen topic for increasingly longer periods. Then 
  the practice becomes more engaging, more rewarding, and also less 
  tiring. Eventually one's efforts will culminate in one-pointedness of 
  mind, //samadhi//.
  
    With the attainment of the one-pointed mind, the meditator turns 
  this pure, steady, clear mind to the contemplation of existence 
  itself. This marks the beginning of //vipassana-bhavana//, the 
  meditative development of insight. The meditator mindfully 
  investigates his own compound of the "five aggregates." He sees that 
  the body, or form, is made up of changing physical qualities, while 
  mind itself consists of fleeting mental factors: feeling, perception, 
  mental formations (intentions, emotions, thoughts, desires, etc.), and 
  consciousness. He sees that these all occur in mutual dependence, all 
  in a flow. There is no substantial self, no immortal soul within them 
  to be called "I" or "mine." As the impermanence, the 
  unsatisfactoriness, and the selfless nature of the five aggregates 
  become manifest to the meditator, he realizes that nothing conditioned 
  is worth clinging to; for everything conditioned is fleeting, and in 
  the fleeting it is impossible to find stable happiness. This is 
  //panna//, wisdom, the third and final stage in the Noble Eightfold 
  Path.
    
    With the development of wisdom, ignorance ceases in all its forms 
  and shades. Craving and kamma, the fuel for the flame of becoming, is 
  exhausted, and no more fresh fuel is supplied. Hence the flame of 
  existence burns out for lack of fuel. When such a person who has 
  reached the goal passes away, he no longer takes rebirth in any realm 
  of becoming. He has attained Nibbana, the Deathless. 
  
  
                                 * * *
                                          

                                   
                      12. Mindfulness of Breathing

  
  Mindfulness of breathing (//anapanasati//) is an excellent subject of 
  meditation particularly useful to the busy layperson, as it can be 
  practised safely by anyone, anywhere, at any time. To practise this 
  type of meditation, one should first adopt a seated meditation 
  posture. Those who can sit comfortably in full lotus or half-lotus 
  posture may adopt those positions; those who find this difficult may 
  assume any cross-legged sitting posture that enables them to hold 
  upright the upper part of the body; those who find even this difficult 
  may sit on a straight-backed chair. The torso should be held erect but 
  not stiff; the hands should be placed one over the other on the lap; 
  and (for those who sit in a chair) the feet should rest on the floor. 
  
    The meditator should then breathe calmly and naturally, mentally 
  following the whole breath in and out without a break in 
  attentiveness. At the outset one should simply breathe in and out 
  without reflecting about it. One may fix the attention on the nostrils 
  or upper lip, wherever the breath is felt most distinctly as one 
  breathes in and out. There the attention should remain. 
    
    As one proceeds with the observation of the breath, one becomes more 
  and more deeply concentrated upon it. One then feels light in body and 
  mind, very calm and peaceful; one may even feel as if one were 
  floating in the air. When strong calm is established and the mind 
  becomes one-pointed, one may then turn one's attention towards the 
  development of insight (//vipassana//), aiming to gain direct insight 
  into the true nature of existence. This type of meditation, when 
  successful, leads by stages to the realization of Nibbana.
    
    Apart from its ultimate benefits, mindfulness of breathing has an 
  immediate value that can be seen in one's daily life. It promotes 
  detachment and objectivity. It allows one the mental distance needed 
  to arrive at wise decisions in the countless difficulties of daily 
  life. Regular practice of this meditation brings increased 
  concentration and self-control, improved mindfulness, and is also 
  conducive to healthy and relaxed living.
  
  
                                 * * *
                                          

                    
                    13. Facing Death with Equanimity

  
  Death is the only absolutely certain thing in life, yet how many of us 
  plan for it and prepare ourselves adequately in advance to face it 
  calmly? All human beings must die. The body disintegrates, breaks 
  apart, and turns to ashes and dust. The only thing we own that remains 
  with us beyond death is our kamma, our intentional deeds. Our deeds 
  continue, bringing into being a new form of life until all craving is 
  extinguished. We are born and evolve according to the quality of our 
  kamma. Good deeds will produce a good rebirth, bad deeds a bad 
  rebirth.
  
    The materialistic view that a human being is merely a biological 
  result of the union of sperm and ovum which utterly terminates in 
  death is inadequate as a total explanation of human life. Nature and 
  nurture, heredity and the environment, cannot by themselves explain, 
  for example, why twins born of the same parents, physically almost 
  identical, enjoying equal privileges, brought up in the same 
  environment, often exhibit widely different characteristics, mental, 
  moral, and emotional. Moreover, science would meet difficulties 
  accounting for the existence of infant prodigies and the recollection 
  of past lives, particularly by children. 
    
    A realistic Buddhist, knowing that death is inevitable, plans for it 
  and trains himself to face it with equanimity. He also knows that the 
  best way to plan for death is to lead a virtuous and upright life. 
  Thus the devoted Buddhist regularly observes the Five Precepts, 
  performs many kind and generous acts, and endeavours to lessen his 
  greed and hate. The fact that one has led a blameless life will be an 
  added solace and source of strength at death. The fear of death then 
  loses its force and sting.
    
    In preparing for death, a householder should fulfil his obligations 
  to his family, to others, and to his religion. In practice, this means 
  leaving behind a sufficient income for one's family, making out a 
  proper last will, planning one's own funeral arrangements, and 
  providing funds for the maintenance of virtuous and learned monks who 
  observe the rules of discipline and who can preach the correct Dhamma.
    
    The Buddha teaches his lay followers, as well as the monks and nuns, 
  that they should often reflect on the inevitability of death: "Death 
  is certain, life is uncertain" (//maranam niyatam, jivitam 
  aniyatam//). These words are a clarion call reminding us of the need 
  to put our own house in order, morally and philosophically, without 
  delay, and to face each day as if it were our last. The world of today 
  would indeed be a happier and safer place to live if people the world 
  over would only pay heed to this call.
  
  
                                 * * *
                                          
                                          

                         14. The Good Buddhist
  

  The preceding sections of this essay will help the Buddhist lay 
  follower to understand, from a practical angle, the main points of the 
  Buddha's teachings as they bear on the conduct of daily life. Constant 
  practice of these principles will ensure that they are built into his 
  character, enabling him to develop into a well-rounded human being, a 
  centre of sanity in a confused world adrift in fashionable 
  philosophies full of empty promises.
  
    At the very minimum a lay follower of the Buddha must keep the Five 
  Precepts, which enables him to develop virtue in regard to his bodily 
  and verbal behaviour. But one should not stop with this. One who seeks 
  the true perfection of happiness must also attend to the cultivation 
  of the mind. One must be mindful of the arising of unwholesome states 
  such as greed, anger, and delusion, and know how to deal with them 
  effectively when they threaten to throw one off balance. One should 
  proceed even further and attempt to cultivate the mind systematically 
  through the practice of meditation for tranquillity and insight.
    
    The society in which we live is a reflection of the minds of the 
  human beings who have created that society. If our society has become 
  corrupt, rife with immorality, and destructive of the higher 
  potentials of human nature, that is because the people who comprise 
  that society have allowed themselves to drift into corrupt and immoral 
  states of mind. The quality of a society inevitably rests on the 
  quality of the lives led by the persons who make up that society. One 
  single individual may not be able to change the whole society for the 
  better. But each one of us can, at any rate, transform the world of 
  our own mind.
    
    How is this to be done? By observing the Five Precepts flawlessly, 
  by being as mindful as possible in everyday life, by cleansing the 
  mind of its blemishes, by cultivating the four sublime states, by 
  meditating energetically every day, by listening to discourses on the 
  Dhamma and clarifying one's doubts about the teaching. By following 
  these guidelines one is sure to reap their fruits: peace of mind, 
  contentment, the absence of inner conflicts even in the midst of our 
  confusing and chaotic world.
    
    A good Buddhist should ever seek the opportunity to do deeds of 
  mercy, kindness, and charity. He should be keen on helping those less 
  fortunate than himself. When practising giving, however, one should 
  give with discrimination, as the Buddha advises: //viceyya danam 
  databbam//. Thus the most needy will be benefited with the things they 
  need most.
    
    A good Buddhist should set apart a few minutes every day to review 
  the day's happenings, and  to see whether or not he has strayed from 
  the Master's teachings. If so, he should inquire why he has done so in 
  order to avoid a future repetition. Methodical reading on the Dhamma 
  will also help one to put the whole of life into the right 
  perspective. It is a useful habit to read daily an inspiring discourse 
  of the Buddha, such as the Mahamangala Sutta, or to recite some verses
  of the Dhammapada and reflect for a few moments on their relevance to 
  one's own life. Doing so will help one to forget one's trifling 
  worries and troubles, to clarify one's thinking, and to recall the 
  ultimate values and truths upon which one should build one's life.
    
    The Buddha's teachings consist of virtue, concentration, and wisdom. 
  Only with their practice will the Buddha-Dhamma flourish; when they 
  are neglected, the Buddha-Dhamma will decline. This fact should always 
  be remembered by those who are anxious to avert the decline and 
  disappearance of the Sasana. As religion withers the world over, more 
  and more attention is paid to empty rites, rituals, and ceremonies, 
  while little or no attention is paid to the actual practice of the 
  principles of religion as they bear on real life. It is this, however, 
  that matters most. 
    
    By following the above guidelines, a good Buddhist will grow in all 
  aspects of the Dhamma. These guidelines will help to mould one's whole 
  personality, to instil the true principles of the Dhamma into one's 
  understanding, to train the emotions and to discipline the will. Doing 
  so will conduce to the ultimate best interest of oneself, and help one 
  to make one's life a blessing for others as well.
    
    
                                          
                   May you and I and all other beings
                           be well and happy. 

                            * * * * * * * *
                            


                            ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  
  Robert Bogoda was born in 1918 in Colombo, the business capital of Sri 
  Lanka. His secondary education was cut short by the sudden demise of 
  his father, which compelled him to work at a modest job as a teacher. 
  While engaged in teaching, he obtained by self study the B.Sc. (Econ.) 
  and M.Sc. (Econ.) degrees from the University of London, specializing 
  in Social Administration. Now retired, he pursues his interests in 
  Buddhism and social welfare. The essay "A Simple Guide to Life" was 
  written against this background. 
  
                            * * * * * * * *



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