Taking a train from Varanasi to Agra the other day turned out to be a very spiritual experience. Mrs. Chia nee Madam Chong gave us a very enlightening view of one the five Buddhist percepts. The first precept, Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami which means I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures which to me, could simply means Thou should not kill, carry more meaning than I had previously thought. While even a child may understand that it is not good to kill a human being, a thinking adult always asks, how about a mosquito? Isn't it a living creature too? Logically, a mosquito should not be killed too but as Mrs. Chia said, it is the intention to kill that matters first of all. The negative thought that first arises in the mind when translated into action constitute actual killing. Stepping on an insect accidentally would not be such a serious crime. Knowing that you are killing a mosquito is killing and it means the first precept has been broken even if you have the good intention of saving a human life. A person who does this is very unlike a Bodhisattva who willingly bears the burden for another person. And in this case too, the misdeed will be outweighed by the good deed. That to me is very unlike adding a little murky water to a well of clear water. All said, today Lotus Flower
left an interesting comment in my post Five Precepts of Buddhism. As she said About mosquitoes and the like which brings harm to humans, I don't think this is what is being referred to by the precept. It is great to think out of the box! Now, I wonder what she thinks of butchers who butcher animals for a living?, a problem posed by debasis.
Comments
He had to kill a herd of sheep (that is always negative krma creation). When he was tired, he went out and than returned and could not find his knife. He saw it under the leg of the next sheep to kill, it tried to hide the knife.
The men was so hardly impressed by this action of the sheep, had very great repentance and compassion. He run on the high mountain and jumped
down. But in this moment he began to fly.
On the other side of that mountain there was a yogi that passed all his life to pray and to do practices. He saw what was happend to the butcher and thought: if this dirty butcher that did not say one pray in all his life became this realization in a moment, why can't it happen to me, great yogi that passed all the life in practices? He went on the mountain and jumped down. And broke himself and was dead.
The Teachings about Refuge, 3 Jewels, creating the Faith say always: study texts, be convinct about the Perfections, explain it to yourself 3-6-... times a day -in this way you will grow your convinction, Faith ecc.
As a teacher I was delighted about great psychological, learning ecc depth of the buddhist Teaching. I said: it's something that persons have to study from the first days of life. Why we have to discover from day to day what buddhism said 3000 years ago? Why not appreciate what we have just discovered?
Find and read Sanghatasutra. Wait, maybe there is in English... Yes, http://www.iltk.it/en/L2_S6_downloads.htm
(Ārya Sańghāţasūtra harmma-paryāya)
or try directly this address http://www.iltk.it/en/downloads/sanghatasutra.pdf
and open page 52 and read till the end,I think.
Buddha tells what happens to a person in the moment when he dies.
Now, if you read attentively and you know biology, say me, how is it possible to speak about microorganisms 1400 years ago? (the latest copy of this sutra assolutly surely scientifically proved comes from VI century)?
Is it not good prove of the Teaching?
Studying the text is important but each word we read must also be weighed to see if it is acceptable. In fact, studying the text to me is a meditation. Meditation is not just sitting down cross leg and observing the breathing. Sometimes, it is observing the stomach, the environment and contemplating over the deed we have done.
You are, in my opinion, delighted with the psychological and learning aspect because you are a thinking person. Some people, they depend more on props to help them stand and that's why amulets and statues are important to let them see and grasp an idea so that they can concentrate more.
And thanks for the link. I'll have a look at it.
On that page "Download"
The only text there is Sanghatasutra