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| I'm trying to stop. But my mind pulls me back. |
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Nalanda in Pavarika Mango Grove.
Then the headman Asibandhakaputta, a disciple of the
Niganthas [Jains], arrived, bowed, and sat respectfully to one side. The Blessed One addressed him: "Headman, how does the Nigantha Nataputta [Mahavira, the founder of Jainism] teach
dharma to his disciples?"
"Venerable sir, the Nigantha Nataputta teaches
dharma to his disciples in this way: 'All who take life are destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell. All who steal...
All who indulge in illicit sex... All who speak falsely* [
see the Five Precepts] are destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell. Whatever one keeps doing frequently, by that is one led [to a state of rebirth].' That is how he teaches
dharma to his disciples."
"If it is true that 'Whatever one keeps doing frequently, by that is one led [to a state of rebirth],' then no one is destined for a state of deprivation or destined for hell in line with the Nigantha Nataputta's words. What do you think, headman? If a person is
one who... indulges in illicit sex, then taking into consideration time spent doing and not doing, whether by day or night, which time is more, the time spent indulging in illicit sex or the time not spent indulging in illicit sex?"
"...The time spent not... indulging in illicit sex is certainly more. If it is true that 'Whatever one keeps doing frequently, by that is one led [to a state of rebirth],' then no one is destined for a state of deprivation or destined for hell in line with the Nigantha Nataputta's words."...
"Headman, there is a case where a certain teacher holds this doctrine, holds this view: 'All who take life are destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell. All who steal... All who indulge in illicit sex... All who speak falsely are destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell.' A disciple has faith in that teacher, and the thought occurs, 'Our teacher holds this doctrine, holds this view: "All who [do these things] are destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell." There are living beings I have killed. I, too, am destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell.' One clings to that view. If one does not abandon that doctrine, does not abandon that state of mind, does not relinquish that [wrong] view, then just as if one were to be carried off and placed there, one will be [reborn] in hell.
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| "My body, my rules"! I'm naked and loving it! |
"[The thought occurs,] 'Our teacher holds this doctrine, holds this view: 'All who steal... All who indulge in illicit sex... All who speak falsely are destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell.' There are [such actions] I have done. I, too, am destined for a state of deprivation, destined for hell.' One cling to that view....
"There is the case, headman, where a Wayfarer (Tathagata) appears in the world, worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge and [proper] conduct, well-gone, a knower of the universe, unexcelled trainer of those to be tamed, teacher of human beings and
devas, enlightened, blessed. He in various ways criticizes and censures [unwholesome karma] and says, 'Abstain from [it].'...
"A disciple has faith in that teacher and reflects: 'The Blessed One in a variety of ways criticizes and censures [unwholesome karma like indulging in illicit sex] and says, "Abstain from [it]." There are living beings I have [harmed], to a greater or lesser extent. That was not right. That was not good. But if I become remorseful for that reason, that unskillful deed of mine will not [thereby] be undone.' So, reflecting in this way, a disciple abandons right then [such unprofitable actions, such unskillful karma] and in the future refrains from [it]. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of that harmful action (karma). This is how there comes to be the transcending of that harmful action. ...
- *UNSKILLFUL DEEDS: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct. FALSE SPEECH (unskillful verbal actions): perjury, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle chatter. UNSKILLFUL MENTAL KARMA: covetousness (greed), ill will (anger, hate), wrong views (delusion).
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| Buddhism is for museums! What has it to do with me? (Mark Kamermans/pomax/flickr) |
"A disciple of the noble ones (
ariya pugala), headman -- thus devoid of covetousness, devoid of ill will, unbewildered, alert, mindful -- keeps pervading first one direction [the east] with loving kindness, likewise the second direction, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. So above, below, and all around, everywhere, in all directions, one keeps pervading the all-encompassing universe with an loving kindness -- abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free of hostility, free of ill will.
"Just as a strong
conch-trumpet blower can call out in four [cardinal] directions without any difficulty, in the same way, when one finds temporary liberation through loving kindness, it is developed, pursued, and any deed done to a limited extent no longer remains there, no longer stays there [no longer obstructs and hinders one].
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| Buddhism is ancient but ever useful (Boonlieng/flickr) |
"That disciple of the noble ones -- devoid of covetousness, devoid of ill will, unbewildered, alert, mindful -- keeps pervading first one direction with loving kindness (
metta), compassion... appreciation... and equanimity. And likewise the second direction, the third, the fourth. So above, below, and all around, everywhere, in all directions, one keeps pervading the all-encompassing universe with a mind/heart full of loving kindness... compassion... appreciation... and equanimity -- abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free of hostility, free of ill will.
When this was said, the headman Asibandhakaputta, a disciple of the
Niganthas, said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, venerable sir, magnificent! It is just as if one were to set upright what was overturned, or to reveal what was hidden, or to point out the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms! In the same way has the Blessed One -- through many lines of reasoning -- made the
dharma clear. I go to the Blessed One for guidance, to the Dharma, and to the enlightened Community [all stream enterers and others destined for certain enlightenment within seven lives, conventionally thought of as the Monastic Order, the noble
Sangha]. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone for guidance from this day forward for life!"
As the Left Forum met in New York City over the weekend, a far more secretive and sinister set of individuals met in Denmark to plan the future of the economy and world. For years the mainstream media, the heads of which are on the secret invitation list, denied that this annual meeting exists. It's not the only one of its kind, but it is one of growing influence. Neo-Nazis attend, and only libertarian/reactionary Alex Jones (InfoWars.com) is yelling, or even whispering, about it. It is real, and there is now a superficial Website that confirms its existence. The U.S. government openly lied about the existence of Area 51 then minimized its significance once it admitted lying. The military-industrial complex, the marriage of public government and private corporations, having lied now minimize and say of Bilderberg, "Nothing to see here." What do Globalists do, what do elitists want, what are Wall Street bankers engaged in international finance planning?
