RIGHT INTENTION: (Samma Sankappa) by Venerable Bodhi

RIGHT INTENTION: (Samma Sankappa)  by Venerable Bodhi

The second factor of the path is right intention. "Sankappa" means purpose, intention, resolve, aspiration, motivation. This factor of right intention follows as the natural consequence of right view. 

Through right view, we gain an understanding of the real nature of existence, and this understanding changes our motivation, our purposes in life, our intentions and inclinations. As a result, our minds become shaped by right intentions as opposed to wrong intentions.

In his analysis of this factor, the Buddha explains that there are three kinds of right intentions:

a) The intention of renunciation

b) The intention of non-aversion or loving kindness.

c) The intention of non-injury or compassion.

These are opposed to the three wrong intentions, the intention of sensuality, the intention of aversion and intention of harmfulness or cruelty.

Right intention, as we said, follows naturally from right view. Whenever we gain right view, insight into the fact of Dukkha, then we become motivated to renounce our attachments, our clinging to pleasure, wealth, power and fame. We don't have to suppress the desire for them. 

The desire falls off naturally by itself. When we look at other beings through the lens of the Four Noble Truths, we see that others are also caught up in the net of suffering. This perception brings about a deep identification with others, a feeling of oneness with them, which leads to loving kindness and compassion. 

As these attitudes arise they motivate us to renounce aversion and hatred and all violence and cruelty.

This second factor counteracts the two unwholesome roots of actions, greed and aversion.

With the next three factors, we learn to translate right intention into action. These we get the three factors of right speech, right action, and right livelihood.

29 March 2023

Human Life and Problems Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda

Human Life and Problems
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda

PATIENTS IN A VEGETATIVE STATE AND EUTHANASIA

What is euthanasia, one might ask? It is a word derived from two Greek words: eu meaning good, and thanathos meaning death. Put together, it means, good death.

There has been a long-standing debate on whether legalising euthanasia (where terminally ill people are allowed to commit suicide with the assistance of doctors) is murder or 'mercy killing'. 

The argument for legal voluntary euthanasia states that people ought to be able to die with grace, dignity and in a compassionate manner.

When a member of one's family or a relative becomes seriously ill and develops complications which result in an irreversible coma, he will invariably end up being in a 'vegetative state', or 'brain death', for the rest of his remaining life, causing much sorrow and concern to family members who will have to care and nurse him - a heavy burden indeed which will have to be borne with great courage and fortitude.

'Persistent vegetative state' is an expression which has recently come into use in the medical profession. The 'vegetative state' arises from a severe form of brain damage which results in the patient being unable to move voluntarily, speak or swallow. 

But he can otherwise breathe and the heart beats without assistance. If there are movements, they appear to be reflex actions rather than purposeful gestures.

As life-prolonging technology improves, society is being forced to confront a very basic question: When, exactly, does life end? While there is almost universal agreement that complete loss of brain function is equivalent to death, a debate rages among doctors and the general public alike, when it comes to patients in the persistent vegetative state (PVS).

The diagnosis of 'persistent vegetative state,' according to the Royal College of Physicians in Britain, can be made after a patient has been in an apparently 'vegetative state' for 12 months. As a description of a person suffering from this condition, 'vegetative state' is an unfortunate choice, for human beings are of an entirely different order of creation from vegetables.

The body may die but there is life after death. This belief was held even by the philosopher Plato, who had no idea of revealed religion, over two thousand years ago.

Added to the unimaginable suffering of being unable to move or communicate with their family or those caring for them, these unfortunate people have suffered the humiliation of being discussed and treated as if they were 'vegetative'. And worse, in a number of those cases, at the request of relatives, the sufferers were deprived of nutrition. The relatives described it as 'allowing them to die.' Others describe it as 'starving them to death'.

Surely there is a lesson here for all of us. Life is infinitely precious and there is no justification for taking away the life of a sick person. Indeed, we have an obligation to guard it and strive to make him or her well or, if that is not possible, at least as comfortable as we can.

There is a major distinction in principle between taking steps to end the life of a fellow human being and taking steps to eliminate or minimise pain, to give the sufferer comfort and to preserve his dignity until he breathes his last. Life is sacred and every human being is worthy of respect.

Is a person legally dead if he is in a coma and his vital organs are kept alive by an apparatus of some kind? 

The advanced medical technology and sophisticated procedures available in this century have posed a dilemma to many, as for instance, taking care of people in irreversible coma, commonly known as 'brain death'.

Before recent medical advances, when a patient's heart or lungs failed, his brain would also go 'dead' in no time. Similarly, when the brain failed, heart and lung failure would soon follow.

While medical opinion is more or less thus settled, the legal consequences of doctors' action or inaction in such cases remain questionable. Will they be liable to a charge of murder or manslaughter if they switch off the life-supporting machine in hopeless cases?

Euthanasia, or 'mercy killing' in crude language, is generally understood to mean the merciful act of painlessly terminating the life of a patient suffering from an incurable disease. It is legally and religiously prohibited in the case of humans. While permitting doctors to discontinue treatment, it is illegal for doctors to administer a lethal drug or injection to terminate the patient's life. It is so even though such course of action was prompted by a humanitarian desire to end the suffering.

All this does not however mean prolonging a life at any cost when it is plainly nearing its end. Allowing someone to die implies a recognition that there is some point in terminal illness when further curative treatment has no purpose and that a person in this situation should be allowed to die a natural death in peace and dignity. In no way, should this involve active or wilful destruction of someone's life. Rather, it involves a refusal to start curative treatment when no known cure is possible. While we should respect a person's wish and right to die, we need not assist him to die or commit suicide.

Where as the law considers that the discontinuance of life support may be consistent with the doctor's duty to care for his patient, it does not, for reasons of policy consider that it forms any part of his duty to give his patient a lethal injection to put him out of his agony.

The legal liability of a person who assumes responsibility for the care of another who cannot look after himself, for example, a baby or a frail person, and making the person who is in charge of the other liable for murder or manslaughter for his omission is the same as before. While we should welcome medical technology and the use of new devices such as 'miracle' drugs, organ transplants, haemodialysis machines and so on, we should guard against going down the slippery slope to the valley of euthanasia.

In disconnecting life-support machines after brain death, it is not an exaggeration to say this is a common problem for doctors and next-of-kin of the dying patient. The poser is: Is it better for death to be accelerated in obviously hopeless cases by disconnecting the life-supporting machine?' An immediate thought occurring to mind is, how can we be absolutely sure that the case is hopeless? Miracles can and do happen, although rarely. Whether right or not, one can only safely conclude that there are many unexplained mysteries in this world. This is a matter that has been agitating the minds of the orient for many years.

Buddhism does not countenance euthanasia for two reasons. The first is that every living being has the results of its own past karma to work out, and any interference with his situation will not be anything more than a temporary alleviation of the suffering it is bound to endure. The second reason for condemning the mistaken support for euthanasia concerns the doer and the deed. The very act of killing, whatever its apparent motive, may be related to separation of life from the physical body intentionally which goes against the natural formation of life according to the following five factors: mental - energy, karmic energy, germinal order, seasonal order and the order of natural phenomena. The feeling takes the form of repugnance towards suffering that is being witnessed. He disguises his real feeling as a morally praise-worthy action, and so rationalises and justifies it to himself. If he understood his own psychology better, the hidden forces of cruetly arise at the time of committing the deed.

This does not, however, prohibit the use of sedation and other therapeutic sources to allay the suffering of any person. To be able to relieve someone from suffering by any means and to create an atmosphere for healing should be considered as laudable. All those involved in the alleviation of suffering and in service of the sick should cultivate awareness in their everyday work not merely as an academic and humanitarian involvement, but also associate themselves in the truth that is a psychological process in eliminating selfishness, aversion and delusion.

31 March 2023

Luang Phor Tad

Are you aware that

There are many monks with money

Deposited in their bank accounts

Or kept in their monk kutis

They have all kinds of assets

People flock to offer money to them

They are at ease and happy

In their air-conditioned rooms

And might even be living better-off

Than the people who offer them money

If you take money to buy buffaloes

To take care of you[r fields]

You will be wealthier

Than bringing money to offer these monks

If you want to be comfortable and happy

Then you should ensure “Phra” in the home

- Your father and mother

Are well-taken care of first 

This is the most important

If you can’t nourish the body

Then you should feed the mind

Nourishing the body means to help

Your parents live well with good things

Such as food or a good place to stay

But if you don’t have much wealth

And you’re still poor

Unable to provide for the body

Then at least take care of the spirit

Means to help your parents be happy

Don’t give them all kinds of troubles

Don’t give them problems and headaches

If you can’t even set

Your parents’ minds at ease

It means you have wasted your birth

If you are dating or associating with someone

Try to observe that person carefully

If they care about their parents, it’s good

But if they neglect their parents 

You don’t want to be mixing around with them

Luang Phor Tad Pawaro

Wat Chai Na, Phetchaburi Province

Admin: Luang Phor Tad was actually a geiji ajaan famous for his efficacious takruts. This is the first time I’ve come across his Dhamma so I’m translating to share. 

Photo cr. Nawin Sd

26 March 2023

Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro

Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro

Normally, our hearts can hardly ever sit still. They have to think about all kinds of thoughts and ideas, both good and bad. When good things happen, we keep them to think about. When bad things happen, we keep them to think about. When we succeed or fail at anything, we keep it to think about. This shows how impoverished the mind is. When it thinks about things it likes, it develops sensual craving. When it thinks about things that are possible, it develops craving for possibilities. When it thinks about things that are impossible, it develops craving for impossibilities, all without our realizing it. This is called unawareness. 

It’s because of this unawareness that we have thoughts, judgments, and worries that form the wellspring for likes, dislikes, and attachments. 

Sometimes the things we think about can come true in line with our thoughts; sometimes they can’t. While there’s at least some use in thinking about things that are possible, we like to go to the effort of thinking about things that are out of the question. I.e., when certain things are no longer possible, we still hold onto them to the point where we feel mistreated or depressed. We keep trying to get results out of things that can no longer be. When our hopes aren’t satisfied, we latch onto our dissatisfaction; when they are satisfied, we latch onto our satisfaction. This gives rise to likes and dislikes. We latch onto thoughts of the future and thoughts of the past. Most of us, when we succeed at something, latch onto our happiness. 

When we don’t succeed, we latch onto our disappointment. Sometimes we latch onto things that are good—although latching onto goodness leaves us some way to crawl along. Sometimes we actually latch onto things that are clearly bad.

 

- Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro (Wat Asokaram)

28 March 2023

Human Life and Problems Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda

Human Life and Problems
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda

SUICIDE

Suicide is the act of intentionally and voluntarily taking one's own life. Suicides fall into two types; conventional and personal. The first type occurs as a result of tradition and the force of public opinion. An example is hara-kiri, the ritualistic suicide committed by abdominal stabbing by a Japanese man of rank when he faced disgrace.

Personal suicides are more typical of modern times. The theory is generally accepted that suicide is a result of failure to adjust to one's life stresses and strains.

Suicide is a way to solve various types of personal problems - loneliness, hate, desire for revenge, fear, physical pain, feelings of guilt etc. More men commit suicide than do women, and this applies to all age groups. However, women make more unsuccessful attempts than do men, either because of lack of skill in the art of killing or because of emotional differences.

Most people who commit suicide are depressed. The highest incidence occurs in those whose depression is accompanied by a pervasive sense of hopelessness and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities. In addition, people who are older, single, divorced or widowed, and especially those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs, are at higher risk. Those who are homeless are also more serious suicide risks than others.

Teenage suicide, on the other hand, is a frightening problem. Since 1950 the suicide rate has doubled in adolescent males. For various reasons, however, a similar rise has not occurred in females.

Some experts feel that the rise in teenage suicides is due to the complexity and stress of modern life. It is also known that television dramas and news stories about suicide produce a temporary rise in the number of youngsters who take their lives. Unemployment and pressure to achieve are also factors.

There are several warning signals to watch for, including withdrawal from the company of friends and from regular activities; neglect of personal appearance; radical changes in eating and sleeping habits; and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Some teenagers make their intentions even more obvious. They may give away cherished possessions or say: 'I won't be a problem much longer'. The actual act of suicide often follows some emotional loss such as a break with a girlfriend (or boyfriend) or a family divorce.

Hence, if you should spot any of these behavioural changes - and they must be taken seriously - you should immediately discuss your child's unhappiness with him. For instance, ask specific and direct questions about what he is planning to do. Bringing things out in the open may reduce his anxiety, and he will sense your support. Only then you may be able to attack the problem itself and seek professional help if necessary.

The permissiveness of modern society, which implies greater tolerance of deviant behaviour may partly be responsible for the increase in suicidal acts, especially of self poisoning.

Society's attitude toward suicidal behaviour has grown less moralistic and punitive. There is now a greater readiness to understand rather than to condemn, but a tendency to conceal suicidal acts still persists.

A fatal suicidal act tends to cause grief reactions and guilt feelings on the part of those who may feel that they could have prevented by caring and loving more than they did. Unsatisfied craving or failure to gain what people wanted become causes of committing suicide. No religion has ever condoned this cruel act.

The telephone is now commonly used as a means of communication among lonely and desperate individuals contemplating suicide, and seeking support and advice from members of a caring society. As in the case of 'Alcoholics Anonymous' and other similar organisations, voluntary workers serve as advisers round the clock and their services are available to would-be suicidal cases at any time. There is evidence that this kind of service does help to avert suicidal acts to a great extent.

27 March 2023

THE WAY IT IS Chapter: EVERYTHING THAT ARISES PASSES AWAY VEN. AJAHN SUMEDHO

THE WAY IT IS
Chapter: EVERYTHING THAT ARISES PASSES AWAY
VEN. AJAHN SUMEDHO

“What is a condition? The body that we're with, the emotions and feelings, the perceptions of the mind, conceptions and consciousness through the sense - these are conditions. A condition is something that is added, compounded, something that arises and passes away; it's not the uncreated, unborn, unoriginated ultimate reality… that concept and whatever you conceive, is a condition that arises and passes away. Any time you try to conceive yourself, any concept or memory of yourself as this or that is only a condition of your mind. It's not what you are - you're not a condition of your mind. So, sorrow, despair, love and happiness, are all conditions of mind and they are not all not-self.”

https://amaravati.org/dhamma-books/the-way-it-is/

***********  ********   **************** **********

“What is a condition? The body with which we are, the emotions and feelings, the mind's perceptions, conceptions and consciousness through sense - these are conditions. A condition is something that is added, composed, something that arises and passes; it is not the Uncreated, Unborn, Unoriginated, Ultimate Reality... But this concept and everything you conceive, is a condition that comes and goes. 

Whenever you try to conceive yourself, any concept or memory of yourself as this or that, is just a condition of your mind. You are not what you are – you are not a condition of your mind. Thus, sadness, despair, love, and happiness, are all conditions of the mind and THEY ARE ALL NOT-ME. "

Source: The Way It Is, Cap. What comes, comes.

VEN. AJAHN SUMEDHO

25 March 2023

Luang Pu Doo Prompanyo

Luang Pu Doo Prompanyo

Once a luksit of Luang Pu Doo asked him, “For people like us who are laypersons, we are still involved with worldly and secular affairs. Our practice and actions will involve both meritorious and unwholesome aspects. 

Sometimes we make mistakes or sinful actions...This causes our hearts to become discouraged…Is there any way to improve ourselves?”

Luang Pu had compassion to teach him, “Just focus on one day itself…Take a look at our actions, which actions are good and which are bad? Since morning until evening and then analyse and compare them to one another. Just persevere in behaving well and improving ourselves.”

Luang Pu added that when one sits in meditation and closes one’s eyes, and if brightness occurs, that it is good. This is the beginning of merit. If we offer our mind and hearts and have faith in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha more and more, the brightness will continually increase. 

Luang Pu gave this analogy, if you make your heart bright, you can go and travel anywhere. But if it is still dark, how are you able to find your way? Therefore we must make our mind and heart bright first. 

Then Tahn commented, “When you were in your mother’s womb, it was dark. After you have been born and come out of the womb, are you [content to let your life] remain in darkness?”

Luang Pu Doo Prompanyo

Wat Sakae, Ayutthaya Province

Photo cr. Amatatum

23 March 2023