The Buddhist Path to Enlightenment (study)
by Dr Kala Acharya | 2016 | 118,883 words
This page relates 鈥榯en-fold Yati-dharma (duties of the Monk)鈥� of the study on the Buddhist path to enlightenment. The Buddha was born in the Lumbini grove near the present-day border of India and Nepal in the 6th century B.C. He had achieved enlightenment at the age of thirty鈥揻ive under the 鈥楤odhi-tree鈥� at Buddha-Gaya. This study investigates the teachings after his Enlightenment which the Buddha decided to teach 鈥榦ut of compassion for beings鈥�.
The ten-fold Yati-dharma (duties of the Monk)
[Full title: Three Stages (1): 厂补峁僾补谤补 (Self-restraint)鈥�(C): The ten-fold Yati-dharma]
A monk can well stop the influx of karma by acting in consistent with the ten duties enjoined on the human species especially on monks and they are:
(1) 碍峁腻鈥擣orgiveness. There is nothing like the maxims 鈥榝orgets and forgive鈥�. The spirit of forgiveness helps a great way to control anger which eats into the moral vitals of the mumukshin. It is by virtue of forgiveness that Christ Jesus of Nazareth was a Christ Jesus; for do we not remember the soul stirring exclamation from the cross "Father, father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
(2) Mardava-Humility,鈥擳here is nothing like it to subdue pride and arrogance. Arrogance deteriorates the mind and vitiates the right vision. An arrogant man cannot look into the real utility and necessity of things or discriminate between the right and the wrong whereas a humble man awakens active sympathy in those with whom he comes in contact to his own advantage and sees into the truth.
(3) 膧谤箩补惫补鈥擲implicity. The maxim Simplicity pays best yields to none in its intrinsic merit. It serves to keep the mind free from bias "without which light of truth cannot well be reflected, in the heart. It adds to the courage of conviction and helps in the preservation of veracity of character.
(4) 狈颈谤濒辞产丑补迟腻鈥擥谤别别诲颈濒别蝉蝉苍别蝉蝉. Greed begets sin and sin begets death. Greediness increases attachment, makes the 箩墨惫补 extremely egotistic and narrowly selfish so much so that he knows himself only and looks to his own interests whither you go to the wall or not.
(5) Tapas鈥擜usterity. Cultivation of austerity as laid down in scriptures helps the 箩墨惫补 to have a control over his lower passions to chasten the mind and to soften the heart.
(6) 厂补峁儁补尘补鈥擱estraint, of the senses, the speech and the mind, is the primary conditions for every moral growth and intellectual expansion:
(7) Satya or Truthfulness. It is born of the love of truth which must be the goal of 'every human endeavor. Adherence to truth in every act of life and thought often helps to walk straight with head erect and steer clear of the rocks and shoals which the passage across the ocean of 蝉补峁僺补谤补 abounds with.
(8) Saucha鈥�Purity or Personal cleanliness. It includes the cleanliness of both mind and body. We must not only guard our thoughts well and keep them pure but should as well keep our person clean, for mind and body act and react on each other.
(9) 础办颈峁僣丑颈苍补迟惫补鈥�Renunciation. Cultivation of the spirit of renunciation is a safeguard to the above moral requisites and raises a 箩墨惫补 from the lower level of groveling life.
(10) Brahmacharya鈥擟hastity, It means not only restraining the senses and the lower appetites but freeing the mind from erotic thoughts of every sort and kind.