Benefiting Self, Others, and All

 

One day, Ananda explained to the monks that those who give in to greed do not understand what is meant by benefiting self, benefiting others, and benefiting all.

We can see from our experience that our craving is usually of a selfish nature: we want something either for ourselves or for those close to us. The satisfaction of this craving is a temporary sense-indulgence that brings us short-lived happiness.

The only way to truly benefit ourselves is to awaken—in other words, to transcend the cycle of rebirth—whereby we obtain lasting liberation and genuine happiness. Until we free ourselves from rebirth, we will not be liberated. As long as we remain within the cycle of rebirth, we are bound by craving and ignorance and will not find true liberation or happiness.

In benefiting others, we move beyond thoughts of self to those of others. At this point, we will realize that all beings, not just ourselves, wish to eliminate suffering and attain happiness. With this realization, we will want to help others accomplish this. We begin by wishing that those we love and care for would attain happiness. Then we wish the same for those we do not know and, gradually, for those we do not like. Ultimately, we will develop the wish for all beings to be free from suffering and to attain happiness.

When we shift the focus of our wish for happiness and liberation away from just ourselves, we will begin to think less of our own happiness. Instead of looking at everything in a self-centered way, we will transform our thoughts into those of caring for others. We will stop asking what is in it for us and will instead ask how we can help others.

The concepts of benefiting ourselves and benefiting others occur at a low level of realization. When our understanding reaches a higher level, we will realize that all beings are one and that there is no duality between self and other. To benefit one being is to benefit all beings. Therefore, to benefit others is to benefit oneself. Realizing this interconnectivity among all beings will enable us to realize that we do not need to worry about self-benefit because when we help the whole, we help ourselves. So, there is no need to worry about “me.”

Fundamental Flaw

Wrong thoughts are our personal opinions, which arise in response to external sensory stimuli. Relying on this sensory input, we think about what we have encountered and draw conclusions based on what we have seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. Then, we begin to label some things good and others bad, some pleasant and others unpleasant. In other words, we begin to discriminate, seeing duality in everything.

The fundamental flaw in this process is the reliance on our senses. What we fail to consider is the fact that our breadth of exposure is minimal at best and that our senses may well be faulty. Consider the Buddha’s account of a group of men blind from birth trying to describe an elephant. Each of the men was taken to a different part of the elephant: its head, an ear, a tusk, its trunk, its stomach, a foot, its tail, and the tuft of its tail. The blind men in turn said that the elephant was like a pot, a basket, a ploughshare, a plow, a storehouse, a pillar, a pestle, and a brush. The men then began to argue with one another and even came to blows over the matter.

These reasonable but limited answers were the result of knowing only a part of the truth, not the whole. And sadly, like those blind men, most of us also encounter only a part of the truth. We, too, cling stubbornly to our own viewpoints, convinced that we have all the facts. And thinking that we have all the facts and feeling confident of our conclusions, we reject the views of others. Thus, our ignorance arises from our wrong thoughts. The manifestation of our ignorance is our attachment to our wrong thoughts, and this inevitably intensifies our ignorance.

Fueling the Fire of Hatred

 

Hatred is a fire that if left unchecked will consume all those it touches. Adding fuel to a fire only increases it. Not supplying the fuel will cause the fire to burn itself out.

If we keep fueling the fire of anger and hatred with thoughts of self-justification and self-benefit, of bitterness and resentment, we will never let go of our anger. Eventually, it will consume and destroy us all, for those who are surrounded by fire will inevitably be burned.

The Best Medicine?

The ancients had a saying:

Sickness is the best medicine for sentient beings. When sick, a person should be very happy. When everything goes against your will, do not feel afflicted.

Another saying goes:

Life and death are fated. When sick, a person should give rise to great liberation. Let life and death go on, without being afraid.

Again: The past is like an illusion. The present is like an illusion. The future is like an illusion. Abandon them utterly with all your feelings, and just uphold correct mindfulness. In the midst of your sickness, be peaceful and patient. Do not think restlessly of a quick cure. This is the best prescription for a fast recovery.

Also: Put aside all your household affairs. Abandon the myriad causes of entanglement. Empty your mind and be mindful of the Buddha-name. Do not forget it for a minute, and your karmic barriers will dissolve by themselves. When your karmic barriers have dissolved, naturally you will sleep peacefully at night, and your body and mind will get healthy and strong.

~ The Pure Land Teachings Of Master Chu-Hung, trans. By J.C. Cleary

Harming Those We Love

Picture in your mind an image of the Buddha—an awakened being. What qualities does this image bring to mind? Restraint and dignity. Patience and compassion. Contentment and great ease. These are the qualities we need to uncover within ourselves if we are to, like him, awaken.

But our lives today are so frantic. We have so much to do. We rush from one task to another. We even have a term for it—multitasking. With so much to do, we must be impor­tant people! It is so easy to be seduced by current ideas of what a successful person is. We have seriously strayed from our inner virtues. We practice little restraint. We exhibit little dignity. We are hurting ourselves. And even worse, we are causing great harm to our children. We are setting them on a path that will lead them even farther away from their innate goodness and virtues.

Instead of passing on our bad habits of self-indulgence and instant gratification to our children, we need to teach them what is important in life—how to become truly contented and caring people. Contented, caring people have no room for craving or hatred in their hearts. Such people have no room for thoughts of retalia­tion in their minds. Such people are worthy of the respect and trust of others. Such people are at ease with life.

And when sad or even terrible things happen, they are not overcome by fear or sorrow. They are able to con­trol their fear and transform it into love. They know the futility of doing otherwise; they know the great harm they can do to those they love more than life itself.