DHAMMA PADETHA – 27. FOUR KINDS OF RIGHT LIVING TO REACH GOOD REALMS
DHAMMA PADETHA – FOUR KINDS OF RIGHT LIVING TO REACH GOOD REALMS
Those who are born as human beings have dome merits in their previous lives and to be born as human beings is the result of the past good deeds. They wish to live good lives in the human world. Only if they have the right living will they be reborn in good planes and will also reach the noblest nibbana.
Would-be ‘Ashin Kaccayana Thera’, Kaladevila Hemit, had spoken of four kinds of right living in the human world.
(1) Right living by acquiring wealth without being lazy.
(2) Right living by dividing and distributing the wealth acquired.
(3) To be modest and not to be boastful when a lot of wealth has been acquried.
(4) To live calmly when property is lost or degenerated. Not to be discouraged and depressed.
These four ways of good living has been told in connection with his younger brother hermit.
(1) One who is lazy and does not try and acquire wealth has to live unhappily for want of food, clothing and shelter. Parents, children, relatives and workers who are staying together are also unhappy for want of food, clothing and shelter. That is why, one who doesn’t acquire wealth due to laziness has a bad way of living in this human life.
One who tries to acquire wealth without being lazy will be happy because he has enough food, clothing and shelter for himself. Those who are living together with him, his parents, children, relatives and workers will also be happy because there is sufficient food, clothing and shelter. That is why, to acquire wealth without being lazy is a good way of living in the human life.
(2) One who does not divide and distribute the wealth, that one has acquired, among those who should get, parents, children, relatives, and who does not donate to the sangha and who have come to ask for donation, is attached to his wealth. Though he may be rich there is no benefit in this nor in the future lives. Therefore, it is a bad life led in this human world.
After dividing the wealth acquired into four portions, one portion must be divided among children, parents, relatives, sangha and those who have come to ask for donations, two portions must be put into the investment and one portion must be kept by for emergency. This person who divides and makes use of his property lives a good life in the human world.
(3) Those who become rich and wealthy tend to ignore old friends and become boastful, proud and conceited because of their wealth. These kind of people will degenerate in this life and future births, which is the cause of unhappiness. They are said to live bad lives in the human world. Those who become rich and wealthy, and do not become boastful and conceited, and associate lovingly and respectfully with old friends, are having a good way of living in this life and will be the cause of happiness in future existences.
(4) Because of floods, fire or robbers, that is due to one cause or the other, when one’s property is lost or deteriorated, and if one cannot sleep or eat and is gricf stricken, one will lose benefit in the present life and future samsara. This is a bad way of living in human existence.
When property is lost due to certain circumstances such as floods, fire, robbers, staying calmly without being emotionally disturbed and keeps on doing things as before that are beneficial in this life and in the sanmsara, means having a good way of living in the human abode.
Only if one can live according to the four kinds of good living, it is a good way of living in this life. One will also be reborn in the good and noble realms. One will also reach the noblest nibbana.
