365bet娱乐

There are some who believe that Buddhism is so lofty and sublime a system that it cannot be practised by ordinary man and woman in this workaday world of ours, and that one has to retire from is to a monastery, or to some quiet place, if one desires to be a true place.

This is a sad misconception, due evidently to all lack of understanding of the teaching of the Buddha. There are no external rites or ceremonies which a Buddhist has to perform. Buddhism is a way of life, and what is essential is following the Noble Eightfold Path. Those who think that Buddhism is interested only in lofty ideals, high moral and philosophical thought, and that is ignore the social and economic welfare of people, are wrong. The Buddha was interested in the happiness of men. To him happiness was not possible without leading a pure life based on moral and spiritual unfavourable material and social conditions.

However, Buddhism does not consider material welfare as an end in itself: it is only a means to an end鈥攁 higher and nobler end. But it is a means which is indispensable, indispensable in achieving a higher purpose of a man鈥檚 happiness. So Buddhism recognises the need of certain minimum material conditions favourable to spiritual success.鈥擡ven that of a monk engaged in meditation in some solitary place.^[1]

The Buddha did not take life of the context of its social and economic background; he looked at it as a whole, in all its social economic and political aspects. His teachings on ethical, spiritual and philosophical problems are fairly well known. But little is known, particularly in the West, about his teaching on social economic and political matters. Yet there are numerous discourses dealing with these scattered throughout the ancient Buddhist texts.

The 颁补办办惫补迟迟颈蝉墨丑补苍腻诲补 Sutta of the 顿墨驳丑补-苍颈办腻测补^[2] clearly states that poverty is the cause of immorality and crimes such as theft, falsehood, violence, hatred, cruelty, etc. Kings in ancient times, like governments today, tried to suppress crime through punishments. The 碍奴峁璦诲补苍迟补 Sutta of the same 狈颈办腻测补^[3] explain how futile this is. It says that this method can never be successful. Instead the Buddha suggests that, in order to eradicate crime, the economic conditions of the people should be improved: grain and other facilities for agriculture should be provided for farmers and cultivators; capital should be provided for traders and those engaged in business; adequate wages should be paid to those who are employed. When people are thus provide for with opportunities for earning a sufficient income, they will be contented, will have no fear or anxiety, and consequently the country will be peaceful and free from crime.^[4]

Because of this, the Buddha told lay people how important it is to improve their economic conditions. This does not mean that He approved of hoarding wealth with desire and attachment, which is against his fundamental teaching, nor did he approve of each and every way of earning one鈥檚 livelihood. There are certain trades like the production and sale of armaments, which he condemns as evil means of livelihood. Thus, according to the statement mentioned above, the purpose of the Buddha is to make developing wealth and earning one鈥檚 living in balance is to discard evil deeds such as crimes, to make people happy in their family life and to do much more good deeds such as 诲腻苍补 (charity), 蝉墨濒补 (morality) and 产丑腻惫补苍腻 (insight meditation) for the spiritual progress.

With regard to the four requisites, the main objective of consumption according to Buddhism are mentioned in the Sabb膩sava Sutta of 惭奴濒补辫补峁囜箛腻蝉补 笔补岣穒 in Majjhima 狈颈办腻测补 as follow:鈥�

(1) Cloths are to protect the body from rain, sunlight and attacks from mosquitoes and serpents and to cover the sensitive parts of the body.
(2) Food is to sustain body and organs, avoid hunger, and avoid suffering, prevent occurrence of new suffering, etc.
(3) Shelter is to protect the body from coldness and heat, from insects, serpents and wind and from change of seasons.
(4) Medicine is to cure diseases and helps lead healthy life.^[5]

This consumer philosophy shows the demerits of tight attachment to consumption once caught in it, it is difficult to escape from his own effort.

The rationale of the above mentioned objectives of consumption is to make people understand the value of leading a simple life, without too much attachment to consumption. The craving for mundane things has no limits and also it is insatiable. When people get too much attached to insatiable things they waste their time in vain to satisfy themselves, and at the end would realize that they have deprived themselves of other more important opportunities in life.

All objectives enumerated above are quite sufficient to lead a contented and happy life. If one goes beyond them one would end up in disaster. Murder, robbery, rape, and extortions that have become the order of the day are the result of people seeking easy and quick methods to earn means to arm themselves in the pursuit of this insatiable desire. Ultimately they not only ruin themselves but also create for society a place not worthy of living.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

MA. I, Pali Text Society, Tr. P. 290. What The Buddha Taught, P. 81.

[2]:

D.III, P. 54. Pali Text Society III, P. 64.

[3]:

D. I, P. 128. Pali Text Society I, P. 135.

[4]:

D. I, P. 128. Pali Text Society I, P. 135.

[5]:

M. I, P. 8. Pali Text Society I, P. 6.