"Engage in meritorious deeds to suppress your sins"

by Samangie WETTIMUNY

Q: Despite massive developments in science and technology, and growth of population, untimely deaths occur more often today than in the past.

Do the teachings of the Buddha contain tips on how to prevent such untimely accidents.

A: Buddha, the Enlightened One explained in His teachings the ways to prevent people from suffering from the consequences of their bad kamma and also how some people suffer for acts which they have never committed.

1. Gathi sampaththi

2. Gathi Vipaththi

3. Upadi sampaththi

4. Upadi Vipaththi

5. Kala Sampaththi

6. Kala Vipaththi

7. Payoga sampaththi

8. Payoga Vipaththi

Gathi sampaththi - To be born under favourable conditions-in a good family and a prosperous country. When a person is born in such a country he automatically gets the chance of enjoying the available comforts. Even though a person had committed a few bad kamma in his previous birth, he does not get subjected to retribution because of the significance of the place he had been born. He can enjoy himself all the comforts there. This means that you can change the consequences of some bad kamma you have committed in your previous births if you are born under favourable conditions where you get the chance to commit more good deeds. In fact, when you are born with "gathi sampaththi", good kamma which you had committed in your previous births would come to the fore.

Gathi Vipaththi - When a person is born into a bad environment, even if he had earned enough merits in his previous birth he would not get a chance to enjoy the benefits of such merit. He will have to suffer a lot. He would then have to face the consequences of the bad kamma that he had committed in his previous births.

When born in a society infested with corruption such a person too will get accustomed to commit bad deeds and he would suffer more.

Upadi Sampaththi: If a person is born blessed with great beauty and good conduct, they would be in the centre of attention of others. People would love to help such people irrespective of their family background or economic conditions.

Upadi Vipaththi: If a person appears to be unpleasant to others, cruel or ugly even if he had committed meritorious deeds in his previous births, he won't get a chance to enjoy the benefits of such deeds.

Kala Sampaththi - To be born in a good period.

If you are born within a good period( when there's good governance, less crimes.) you will be able to reap its benefits irrespective of your past bad kamma.

Kala Vipaththi - If a person is born in a bad period he has to face evil consequences. Even though he has enough merits, he will not get a chance to face their good consequences. People in the North and East in Sri Lanka too had to face a similar situation in the past three decades.

Payoga sampaththi - If a person is tactful, well educated and has inculcated good habits in him he gets a greater chance to get rid of the bad consequences of his past kamma.

Payoga Vipaththi - People who lead lazy lives without engaging in any good deed would make themselves victims of their own behaviour.

If a person can lead a true religious life he can avoid facing the consequences of his bad kamma except in the following five conditions.

1)Killing one's mother

2)Killing one's father

3)Dissipating the blood of the Buddha

4)Killing of arhats

5)Bringing about disharmony among the community of monks

Q: The Buddha had stated that there are two types of sins, `Alpa Sawadya' and `Maha Sawadya'. Please explain.

A: As the Buddha had stated a sin becomes graver when the person on whom the pain is inflicted is virtuous. For example if someone kills an extremely religious person who observes "Pancha Seela" daily, he in fact, commits a graver sin than a person who inflicts pain on a sinful one who is a burden to the entire society.

Eliminating terrorists, murderers and the ones who disrupt the social order, could be a blessing to the entire society. It is done in good faith for the benefit of everyone. It can be called "Alpa sawadya". As mentioned earlier, if you either murder or inflict pain on a virtuous person who is quite useful to the society: You have committed a "Maha Sawdya" and its consequences are of course more severe.

Q: It is said that Buddhists who concentrate their minds on great virtues of the Buddha (Budu Guna Bhavana) can lead a contented and prosperous life. But sometimes people tend to recite "Ithipiso gatha" without knowing its meaning properly. How could a lay person practise this meditation meaningfully:

A: The following Gatha too gives the virtues of the Buddha in a nutshell.

Karuna Seethala Hadayan,

(Heart filled with compassion)

Pannya Pajjotha Vihatha Mohatham,

(Who could dispel Moha, the darkness by the light of wisdom)

Sanaramara Loka Garun,

(Who is respected by Gods and humans alike)

(I worship the Buddha, who eliminated rebirth and attained Nibbana)

You can recite this gatha always bearing its meaning in your mind. It will make you a better person.

Q: We have often seen people rearing birds in cages. Selling caged birds too has become a lucrative business. What are the consequences of such evil deeds.

A: People who engage in such evil deeds have a high possibility of themselves becoming prisoners in their next births. Newspapers often report on children who are being kept under lock and key since their very small days. It is related to their kamma or evil deeds they had committed in their previous births. The cycle of sin is such that if you have committed a sin in a previous life, another being commits a sin in becoming the cause of retribution. The cattle who are being slaughtered face that plight due to sins committed by them in their previous births. By killing them another set of people become the cause of retribution.

Q: Seeking mental solace and satisfaction, Buddhists resort to various types of religious activities. Out of all such activities conducting `Bodhi Pooja' is prominent. Why does it have such a significance? What are the correct steps people should follow when conducting a Bodhi Pooja?

A: The sacred Bo tree undoubtedly occupies a special place in the life of the Buddha. More than 2550 years ago Prince Siddhartha attained Enlightenment under the Bo Tree in Buddhagaya.

The objective of the Bodhi Pooja is to invoke the blessings of the sacred Bo Tree which helped the Buddha attain Enlightenment.

Before performing Bodhi Pooja first you have to clean the area surrounding the Bodhiya. Then you have to fill a pot with "Pan" and shower the Bo Tree.

Next you have to offer flowers to the Buddha, light oil lamps and josticks. Afterwards you may chant gathas and recite Pirith. Finally you should bestow merits on Gods.

People normally tend to conduct `Bodhi Poojas' if they are passing a bad period in life. They have to undergo hardships due to a certain kamma they had committed in their previous births. So when they conduct Bodhi Poojas continuously their bad kamma gets suppressed and merits re-emerge.

Q: Could our dead relatives on whom we bestow merit be always benefitted by them?

A: Yes, they can. But not everyone is in need of merits. There's a segment who does not require merits. There's another segment who cannot receive merits that are bestow on them. There are others who wants us to bestow merits on them, they can achieve a good birth by means of such merits.

People who lead a religious life and engage in noble deeds are definitely reborn in better places. Such people do not expect others to bestow merits on them. The ones who had engaged in various evil deeds during their lifetime would be reborn in 'Thirisan loka, Pretha loka, Asura Bhawaya or Aveechi Narakadi'. They are not in a position to receive the merits that are bestowed on them. The segment called "Paradathupa jeewi" can receive merits and are benefitted by them. They have committed in lots of meritorious deeds in their previous birth, but had been reborn in a bad place because they have died with an impure mind.

Their Chuthi Sitha (Last mind) has been impure. Such ones can get rid of that birth by means of merits that are bestowed on them by their relatives during "Mathaka Vastra Pooja" or Seventh Day alms-giving.