Leading a Buddhist way of life

by Lionel Wijesirir

To lead a happy, successful, and secure life, 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 ask ourselves an important question. What is the significance of our lives? After birth, a human being rapidly ages, then dies. As children, we unconsciously follow the social norms, and often live without thinking about these questions. This is common. But for those who have a more sensitive perception of their situations, those living in unfavorable environments, those experiencing failure in their career, or those who are debilitated by illnesses, may lose some, or all of their hope. Then questions arise, "What is the significance of life?"

Although these questions sometimes come to us, or linger in our mind, we may feel there is no way out. We keep on indulging in working, eating, and grooming.

Significance

Generally, the significance of life for most people can be divided into two groups; (i) the significance is within the present life and world; and (ii) the significance is in the life beyond. Those who belong to the first group can be further divided into three types.

1. Life is for the family - Some people place great emphasis on the continuity of the family. For them, even though the individual may pass away, the fact that the family continues means that there is an ever-lasting significance for their lives. They remember and appreciate their ancestors.

2. Life is for the country - Some people focus their attentions on their nation and country. The significance of life is to contribute to the enhancement of national pride or development. Extremely patriotic people think that individuals belong to the nation, and it is only within the context of the nation that an individual's life has any significance.

3. Life is for all Mankind - Some people prefer to consider humanity as a whole. The significance of life is on the progress of human society. Only with the progress and civilization of the human race is there a meaning to life. With this aspiration for all human beings, one should strive for the development of all humanity, and work hard for the benefit of the majority.

But can we assure that these are the real meanings of life?

The concept of "a life beyond" has been used by most worldly religions, especially religion with God. In these religions, the world is just a illusion. Human beings that live in this world, believe in the God, love the God, and abide by His instructions in order to go to the Heaven in the future. Some religions say, the end of the world is coming, and those who have no faith in the God will be trapped in the hell of eternal suffering; whereas those who believe in the God will get into the heaven and enjoy the eternal bliss. It is impossible to go to heaven while still living as a human being. Therefore, the concept of a heaven is only a belief.

Buddhist Teaching

However, Buddha acknowledged that there is a relative significance of life, and it is through this relative and conditioned nature of life that we can achieve and realize the universal truth.

According to the discourses of the Buddha, our lives, and the world, are nothing but phenomena that rise and fall. It is a process of forming and degenerating. There is nothing that is not subject to change or impermanence. Impermanence indicates that there is no eternal bliss, because even a joyous state will eventually cease and become suffering. Because there is suffering, there will be no ultimate and complete freedom.

According to the Buddha, life and the world, and existence, are "Dependent Originated". Dependent origination means that all phenomena and all existence, do not arise due to the instruction of a God, or nature, or fate, or spontaneity, but to the Law of Dependent Origination.

Under the interplay of the main, auxiliary, and the various complicated conditions and reasons, we exist now as we are. Everything exists due to causes and conditions. From the perspective of the causes and conditions, existence is referred to as the effect. Therefore, life and the world are the product of a stream of extremely complicated causes and effects, and they are strictly abide by the Law of Cause and Effect.

Fantasy World

The foundation for a contentedBuddhist life is an understanding of this moral law of kamma. We need to recognize clearly that wholesome and unwholesome deeds produce corresponding good and bad results.Understanding the kammic moral law of cause and effect, we can learn to control our actions in order to serve our own welfare as well as to promote the good of others.

But yet, man is still wrapped in ignorance. He does not know who he really is or what is expected of him. As a result, he misinterprets world and universe and acts on that misinterpretation.

The failure to understand his existence leads him to assume a false identity of a bloated, self-seeking egoist, and to pretend to be what he is not or is unable to be.

We need to wake up from our 'fantasy worlds' that is created by our own ignorant minds, and become fully awakened. We must realize that what we are today is the result of and untold number of repetitions in thoughts and actions. And it is in this characteristic of change that our future lies, because it means that it is possible for us to mouldour characters and destiny through the choice of his actions, speech and thoughts.

The Buddha said that contentment is the greatest wealth in life. He praised his disciple Mahakasyapa (orKassapa) for his contentment .

"Monks, Kassapa here is content with any old robe. He praises contentment with any robe, nor does he commit any offense of unseemliness or impropriety on account of a robe. If he has not got a robe, he does not worry; if he has got a robe he enjoys the use of it without clinging or foolish attachment, not committing any offense, aware of the danger and wisely avoiding it."

"Mahakasyapa was likewise content with whatever alms he received, whatever lodging he found, whatever medicines he was given for sickness. The Buddha urged his disciples to be like Mahakasyapa, enjoying what they had "without clinging or foolish attachment, not committing any offense, aware of the danger and wisely avoiding it."

In other words, perhaps we feel we are making do with very little. But if we are clingy and possessive about what very little we do have, that's still not true contentment. This means we are still relating to things in a self-centered way.

To lead a contented life one must care not only for the body but keep the mind healthy by not allowing the mind to be unwholesome. For this purpose, one must develop Sati or mindfulness, and recognize and avoid the evil mental factors stated earlier as they arise in the mind. This can be done by cultivating wholesome mental factors such as Alobha or detachment, Adosa or metta, karuna or compassion, muditha or appreciative joy. The most important mental factor that one should develop is insight wisdom or vipassanapanna. It will make one see the world as it really is and not as they appear to be.