The Gospel of Buddha Part 21

"What, however, is good? 5

"Abstaining from killing is good; abstaining from theft is good; abstaining from sensuality is good; abstaining from falsehood is good; abstaining from slander is good; suppression of unkindness is good; abandoning gossip is good; letting go all envy is good; dismissing hatred is good; obedience to the truth is good; all these things are good. 6

"And what, my friends, is the root of the good? 7

"Freedom from desire is the root of the good; freedom from hatred and freedom from illusion; these things, my friends, are the root of the good. 8

"What, however, O brethren, is suffering? What is the origin of suffering? What is the annihilation of suffering? 9

"Birth is suffering; old age is suffering; disease is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow and misery are suffering; affliction and despair are suffering; to be united with loathsome things is suffering; the loss of that which we love and the failure in attaining that which is longed for are suffering; all these things, O brethren, are suffering. 10

"And what, O brethren, is the origin of suffering? 11

"It is l.u.s.t, pa.s.sion, and the thirst for existence that yearns for pleasure everywhere, leading to a continual rebirth! It is sensuality, desire, selfishness; all these things, O brethren, are the origin of suffering. 12

"And what is the annihilation of suffering? 13

"The radical and total annihilation of this thirst and the abandonment, the liberation, the deliverance from pa.s.sion, that, O brethren, is the annihilation of suffering. 14

"And what, O brethren, is the path that leads to the annihilation of suffering? 15

"It is the holy eightfold path that leads to the annihilation of suffering, which consists of, right views, right decision, right speech, right action, right living, right struggling, right thoughts, and right meditation. 16

"In so far, O friends, as a n.o.ble youth thus recognizes suffering and the origin of suffering, as he recognizes the annihilation of suffering, and walks on the path that leads to the annihilation of suffering, radically forsaking pa.s.sion, subduing wrath, annihilating the vain conceit of the "I-am," leaving ignorance, and attaining to enlightenment, he will make an end of all suffering even in this life." 17

XLVI.

AVOIDING THE TEN EVILS.

The Buddha said: "All acts of living creatures become bad by ten things, and by avoiding the ten things they become good. There are three evils of the body, four evils of the tongue, and three evils of the mind. 1

"The evils of the body are, murder, theft, and adultery, of the tongue, lying, slander, abuse, and idle talk; of the mind, covetousness, hatred, and error. 2

"I exhort you to avoid the ten evils: 3

"I. Kill not, but have regard for life. 4

"II. Steal not, neither do ye rob; but help everybody to be master of the fruits of his labor. 5

"III. Abstain from impurity, and lead a life of chast.i.ty. 6

"IV. Lie not, but be truthful. Speak the truth with discretion, fearlessly and in a loving heart. 7

"V. Invent not evil reports, neither do ye repeat them. Carp not, but look for the good sides of your fellow-beings, so that ye may with sincerity defend them against their enemies. 8

"VI. Swear not, but speak decently and with dignity. 9

"VII. Waste not the time with gossip, but speak to the purpose or keep silence. 10

"VIII. Covet not, nor envy, but rejoice at the fortunes of other people. 11

"IX. Cleanse your heart of malice and cherish no hatred, not even against your enemies; but embrace all living beings with kindness. 12

"X. Free your mind of ignorance and be anxious to learn the truth, especially in the one thing that is needful, lest you fall a prey either to scepticism or to errors. Scepticism will make you indifferent and errors will lead you astray, so that you shall not find the n.o.ble path that leads to life eternal." 13

XLVII.

THE PREACHER'S MISSION.

And the Blessed One said to his disciples: 1

"When I have pa.s.sed away and can no longer address you and edify your minds with religious discourse, select from among you men of good family and education to preach the truth in my stead. And let those men be invested with the robes of the Tathagata, let them enter into the abode of the Tathagata, and occupy the pulpit of the Tathagata. 2

"The robe of the Tathagata is sublime forbearance and patience.

The abode of the Tathagata is charity and love of all beings. The pulpit of the Tathagata is the comprehension of the good law in its abstract meaning as well as in its particular application. 3

"The preacher must propound the truth with unshrinking mind. He must have the power of persuasion rooted in virtue and in strict fidelity to his vows. 4

"The preacher must keep in his proper sphere and be steady in his course. He must not flatter his vanity by seeking the company of the great, nor must he keep company with persons who are frivolous and immoral. When in temptation, he should constantly think of the Buddha and he will conquer. 5

"All who come to hear the doctrine, the preacher must receive with benevolence, and his sermon must be without invidiousness. 6

"The preacher must not be p.r.o.ne to carp at others, or to blame other preachers; nor speak scandal, nor propagate bitter words.

He must not mention by name other disciples to vituperate them and reproach their demeanor. 7

"Clad in a clean robe, dyed with good color, with appropriate undergarments, he must ascend the pulpit with a mind free from blame and at peace with the whole world. 8

"He must not take delight in quarrelous disputations or engage in controversies so as to show the superiority of his talents, but be calm and composed. 9

"No hostile feelings shall reside in his heart, and he must never abandon the disposition of charity toward all beings. His sole aim must be that all beings become Buddhas. 10

"Let the preacher apply himself with zeal to his work, and the Tathagata will show to him the body of the holy law in its transcendent glory. He shall be honored as one whom the Tathagata has blessed. The Tathagata blesses the preacher and also those who reverently listen to him and joyfully accept the doctrine. 11

"All those who receive the truth will find perfect enlightenment.

And, verily, such is the power of the doctrine that even by the reading of a single stanza, or by reciting, copying, and keeping in mind a single sentence of the good law, persons may be converted to the truth and enter the path of righteousness which leads to deliverance from evil. 12

"Creatures that are swayed by impure pa.s.sions, when they listen to the voice, will be purified. The ignorant who are infatuated with the follies of the world will, when pondering on the profundity of the doctrine, acquire wisdom. Those who act under the impulse of hatred will, when taking refuge in the Buddha, be filled with good-will and love. 13

"A preacher must be full of energy and cheerful hope, never tiring and never despairing of final success. 14

"A preacher must be like a man in quest of water who digs a well in an arid tract of land. So long as he sees that the sand is dry and white, he knows that the water is still far off. But let him not be troubled or give up the task as hopeless. The work of removing the dry sand must be done so that he can dig down deeper into the ground. And often the deeper he has to dig, the cooler and purer and more refres.h.i.+ng will the water be. 15