DHAMMA PADETHA – 34. LIKE THE BUDDHA-TO-BE, PERFORM YOUR SUPPORTING DUTY
DHAMMA PADETHA – LIKE THE BUDDHA-TO-BE, PERFORM YOUR SUPPORTING DUTY
The s²la of Buddhists are of two categories; abstention (v±ritta) s²la and practising (c±ritta) s²la. Only by observing both types, will one be fully endowed with s²la.
Buddhists abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling lies and taking intoxicants which is v±ritta s²la that must be observed. The duty of parents, the duty of sons and daughters, the duty of a teacher, the duty of a pupil, the duty of a friend, known as c±ritta s²la, which must be practised so that one is said to be fully endowed with s²la.
The c±ritta s²la, which must be practised, includes the four supporting duties of parents, sons and daughters, relatives and friends. Lord Buddha had instructed the following four supporting duties in Sangaha Sutta:
(1) D±na — generosity, giving charity;
(2) Peyyavajja — speaking pleasing words;
(3) Atth±cariya — carrying out beneficial duties; and
(4) Sam±natthat±— to treat others as yourself.
(1) In giving charity: the giver as well as the receiver are pleasantly disposed and also gain merit. The giver in thinking that he/she had given something that makes the receiver happy, is pleased or delighted. Because he had given his belonging, he is free from stinginess (macchariya) and attachment (lobha). One has mett± (adosa) towards the receiver and achieves merit through mett± and also gain merit through unstinginess (alobha).
The receiver, knowing that the giver has mett± for him is delighted. ‘Just as he is happy, may the giver be happy physically and spiritually, he reflects repeatedly and thus gain merit.
(2) In speaking pleasant and loving words: the speaker as well as the listener are happy and therefore gain merit.
Because the speaker has in mind, before speaking, that he would speak pleasant words with mett±, he gets manokamma mett± merit. That is, merit gained through mental action, while speaking. Because pleasant words are spoken, he gets vacikamma mett± merit i.e. merit gained through verbal action.
Because the listener hears pleasant words, he is filled with happiness. Later on, whenever he thinks of the speaker who had spoken pleasantly to him, he remembers that he had been spoken to pleasantly. Every time he remembers, he is filled will physical and spiritual happiness repeatedly, and thus gain merit.
(3) Carrying out something for the benefit of another person: the one who does it and the other who follows the instructions, both parties, get benefit and happiness.
The one who carries out things tells the other who follows the instructions, not to do any unwholesome deeds; for the benefit of this life and future existences. He should do wholesome deeds and revere wise people and not revere unwise people. In this way he gives instructions, honoured with good-willed mett±, to the other to get benefits. Hence he gains mett±-led benefits of merit.
The one who follows the instructions thinks to himself that he had been instructed to gain benefits. He listens respectfully and abstains from killing, stealing, having sexual misconduct, telling lies and taking intoxicants.
Because he abstains from unwholesome actions and because he reveres virtuous wise people and avoids unwise and foolish people, he gains benefits in the present and future existences. Also till he reaches nibb±na.
(4) To treat others as yourself: Both elderly person and younger person, who stay together, get benefits and happiness.
The older ones who share every thing with the younger ones, through thick and thin, weal and woe, have to tolerate with mett±, when the young ones misbehave in their speech, in their behaviour in eating and drinking, and in all their mannerisms. They also try to correct them with mett± and patience. Thus staying together, with mett± and tolerance (khanti), they gain the merit of khanti mett±, which increases and gets mature.
The younger ones who stay together with older ones, in age and seniority, through weal and woe, receive the blessings of the older people, and are happy. Since they try to copy the behaviour of the older ones, they benefit in this life as well as in future births.
Ordinarily, one might think that by just giving charity, one’s supporting duty is complete. According to Sangaha Sutta it is Lord Buddha’s wish to carry out all the four supporting duties.
After giving a supporting by charity and if one speaks harshly when opportunity arises, then the supporting duty becomes meaningless. Therefore, one must also be pleasant in one’s speech.
Some people do not wish to be given but wishes to be spoken to pleasantly. To those people one must speak pleasantly and revere them. Yet some people do nut wish to be given. Neither do they wish to be spoken to pleasantly. They only wish others to carry out their duties beneficially. For those people, one must carry out one’s duties for their benefit. Again, some people do not wish to be given, nor do they wish to be spoken to pleasantly nor do they wish others to perform their duties so as to be beneficial. They just want senior or older people to live with them. Hence, older people must bless them by living together with them.
Families and friends, who do not fulfil these four duties are like people going on a journey by cart, without a linchpin, loaded with valuable food and property. People , going on a journey by cart, which does not have linchpins, will get into trouble on the way, because the cart wheel will come off. In the same way these people will have to suffer in this life and in sa½s±ra.
Families and friends who fulfil the four supporting duties are like people going on a journey by cart, which has linchpins, loaded with valuable food and property. People, going on a journey by cart, which has linchpins, will reach their destination smoothly or safely and will be happy. Similarly, they will live happily in this life and in sa½s±ra and will eventually reach nibbana for which they have aspired.
In one existence, the Buddha-to-be was the king of parrots. He supported his parents, children and disabled fellow parrots, like repaying old debts, putting new investments and burying gold pots which are three kinds of d±na, supporting duties.
At one time, the Buddha-to-be became a parrot king in a forest near R±jagaha. Near R±jagaha at S±liddiya village lived Kosiyagotta brahmin who had planted sali paddy plants in his fields of one thousand units of square-measure in area. He hired a watchman to watch over his field of five hundred square-measures. When the paddy plants ripened, the Buddha-to-be king parrot and a host of parrots flew down into the watchman’s field and ate the good quality paddy.
When the watchman drove the binds from one place they would go to another place and eat the paddy. All the birds, excepting the Buddha-to-be, only ate in the field and flew away. The Buddha-to-be ate the paddy and also took away some ear of paddy in his beak. The watchman being unable to drive the birds away reported the matter to the owner of the fields, the brahmin.
The brahmin, owner of the fields, told the watchman to keep a trap, catch the big bird and bring it to him. As instructed the watchman kept a trap, caught the bird and brought it to the brahmin. The brahmin, holding the strong and beautiful bird, which resembled a peacock, in esteem and affection, took it as though it was his own son and after embracing, asked:
‘O parrot, other birds just eat the paddy in the field and fly away. As for you, you not only eat but take the ear of paddy in your beak and fly away.
(1) Is it because your stomach is larger?
(2) Or do you have a barn where you collect paddy?
(3) Or are we enemies?’
The king parrot, the Buddha-to-be replied: None whatever you said is correct. The reasons why 1 take away the ear of paddy are:
(1) I have to repay old debts.
(2) I have to make new investments.
(3) I have to bury gold pots. These are the reasons why I take away the ear of paddy.
The brahmin said ‘I do not understand whatever you have said, please explain.’
The Buddha-to-be king parrot replied, ‘I have to feed my old parents with the ear of paddy. This is repaying old debts.’
‘I have to feed my children also with paddy. This is making new investments’
‘I also carry the ear of paddy to feed the disabled fellow parrots, around me, which cannot fly. This is burying gold pots.’ Thus it explained everything.
The owner of the fields, the Brahmin, was filled with awe. Even human beings do not understand the supporting duties in full. Although you are a parrot you know so much about the supporting duties. He revered the Buddha-to-be king parrot so much that he offered all his entire paddy field of a thousand square-measures. The Buddha-to-be king parrot accepted only eight square-measures.
Now, Buddhists taking the example of the Buddha-to-be king parrot’s supporting duties and observing c±ritta s²la.
(1) While feeding parents you are repaying old debts.
(2) While giving and feeding children you are making new investments.
(3) By giving charity to the poor, nuns, and offering and supporting the sangha you are burying gold pots.
Motto: Repay old debts, invest new and bury noble gold pots like the king parrot Buddha-to-be, perform your supporting duties.
