ျမစ္မခအရွင္

7. Rejoicing and
8. Preaching to the dhamma (Dhammadesanā),
9. Listing to the dhamma (Dhammasavana),
10. Straight one's view (Ditthijukamma).

The performance of these ten meritorious deeds will not only benefit to one self but other as well because a human being is a member of society and his actions influence on his society. On the other hand, all actions in his society influence on him.

The Charity

Charity is beneficial to the recipients. We should be generous in offering alms. The properties or wealth, which we possess, are in reality impermanent. Infect, we cannot own any property one day because our property or we will gone. We cannot take our properties with us in to next life. Naturally these are spent by in the following three ways;
1. Through giving charity,
2. Spending our own use,
3. Destroyed by some cause.

If we don not use our properties for charity or our good use, it's analogous to a lake in deep forest. Though the water of the lake is very clear and sweet to drink, it cannot be reached and used by anyone because of inaccessibility. When the summerset in, the lake itself may become dried up in vain; i.e. it would have existed without being of use or value to anyone. In the same way if our wealth is not properly used, it's just wasted and it's acquisition becomes meaningless. We should therefore spend our wealth in batter and more useful way through either for charity or our own good use.

The Morality

Moral conduct benefits to all being with whom one comes in to contact. Moral conduct elevates some one from the lower level of instinct to that of higher wisdom. Without moral conduct, man normally descends to animal like the stage where there is no love and compassion, no tolerance, nor reasoning intellect, there is no moral restraint in thought, speed and deeds.

In Buddha's teaching, moral conduct or virtue is of vital important, for only by laying the firm foundation of moral purity, will one have the capacity for emotional maturity and strength to proceed towards the attainment of higher stage of concentration and supreme wisdom or enlightenment; positively one deeds to abstain from all vicious and sinful deeds and words in order to be perfect in the establishment of moral purity. Obviously moral purity can only be gained by the actual practice of restraint by one self and not violating the moral precepts through bodily, verbal and mental action.

Infect, Mental precepts are observed for the sake of one's happiness and security from troubles or dangers. For instance when we observe the people around us, we will see that those who can abide by moral precepts are living happily with peace, without anxiety, fear or repentance, on the contrary those who break or violate the moral precepts suffer greatly because of their evil deeds and subsequent crime.

By following the moral principles laid down by the Buddha, one becomes a truly virtuous person with perfect purify in moral conduct. As result of it, one will live a quite happy and peaceful life without several anxieties, grief, fear, repentance or remorse and finally can attain the supreme blissful happiness of Nibbāna.

Mental Culture

Mental culture brings peace to others and inspires them to practice the Dhamma. It 's final principle for practice in Buddhism. It is of utmost importance because without mental culture or meditation or Bhāvanā in pali word, one can not discipline, develop one's mind and thus can not attain even to the middle stage of concentration, required for the beginning of the insight meditation. It's therefore very hard to see things as they really are and to attain supreme wisdom (Paññā).

In order to attain supreme wisdom through the perfection of religious system one is also wholly concerned with the inner realm; i.e. purify of mind through mental development or mediation (Bhāvanā).

The human being's mind is inherently defiled corrupting events (Kilesā) such as; greed, anger, craving, pride, and wrong view, etc. these latent impure force in their original nature arise simply because of negligence or heedlessness; that is to say they arise lack of mindlessness or awareness of reality through the impact of sense organs with external objects and internal experiences.

With respect to arising of these defilements, the Buddha said, "even as the rain leaks penetrate on ill-thatched house, so does lust penetrate an undeveloped mind. But on the contrary, even as the rain leaks does not penetrate a well –developed mind."

With mindfulness, so we should control our mind whenever there is a chance to see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think through sense organs. These impure mental states always appear in the absence of mental awareness or meditative mindfulness through the senses. These impurities are certain to arise whenever there is a chance to see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think through senses organs. Unless we persist to crush and reject them by means of the practice of concentration or meditation ( Bhāvanā), they will overcome us as a slave of them and we can never experience supreme happiness and peace without mix with suffering, troubles and anxieties. For control of one's mind Bhāvanā is of basic and vital importance. Without it, the mind cannot be uncontrollable as it flits about from one object to another. It 's the mind that creates the troubles, difficulties or problems that overcome human beings throughout Sansāra(cycle of birth and death). Control of the mind is very difficult task for common person because the mind usually delights unwholesome thoughts rather than wholesome ones.

The mind, its intricate nature, is most powerful phenomena and so the world or an individual is led and attached by it. It's only because of the mind every one is swayed to its domain or sovereignty. Each and every one is therefore dominated by the mind that guides as one's master. It is only the mind that makes one impure or pure just as water in the form of mud soils and in it is pure form cleanses. The mind naturally exists in the state of desire or delight in evil, polluting a person with impurities, such as; greed, anger and delusion, etc. if the mind is thus impure with these corrupting agents the body become impure as well. Without mental culture, no one can abate and eliminate one's defilements or corruption and obtain genuine happiness and real peace of mind. The Buddha said in the dīghanikāya" with the development of morality (Sīla) is of great benefit and value; gain with the development of concentration, wisdom (Paññā) is of great benefit and value."

Quite apparently one cannot proceed to the stage of wisdom unless one's mind is controlled, for the mind polluted with defilements, find it is very difficult to see each thing as it is. That is the reason why Bāvanā is essential and indispensable to a person for development in tranquility of mind. On the whole, to dispel the three kinds of impurities on one hand and develop our mind to the pure and mature stage so as to attain the supreme blissful happiness of Nibbāna. We should practice basic three main principles namely charity, morality and mental culture. We should get genuine happiness and peace of mind based on three main principles according to religious system of Buddhism.

Reverence for Others

Reverence gives rise to harmony in society. By giving respect for other, we can gain respect. Every body would like to respect for him. We therefore should give reverence to each other; otherwise we cannot get harmony in our society. Without harmony in our society, we cannot obtain happiness of mind in line of routine. The Buddha said in the Khuddakanikāya "for one who is in the habit of constantly honoring and respecting the elders, four blessing increase; age, beauty, bliss and strength.

Service in Helping Others

By service in helping others we can obtain things what we want. Helping for others also occurs loving-kindness of other friends in a society and as we are one being including in a society where we live, we should endeavor the duty to help for others. Otherwise, the human world can go dry due to lack of the duty, which should be done.
We should therefore, build the foundation of social organization by helping for others to support requirements of them. If we perform dutifully actions, which should be done for others in our society, peoples in the human world become united with each other. By progress of unity with each other, we will manage to be a society or world which full of happiness, peace and prosperity. We will not manage to be such society or world without unity.

Sharing Merits and Rejoicing in Merits Done by Others

By sharing merits with others we can get loving-kindness which wish for the welfare and happiness of our mind. Whenever we perform merits we used to share merits done by someone with others according to Buddhism. For a person it is very important to get other's helping. According to Macchuddāna Jātaka, the river spirit to regain the money lost in the river improved our Bodhisattva. The story says, " By sharing merits with others, someone can receive other's loving-kindness." Apart from that, in this story the river spirit increased her power because of rejoicing over merits given by Bodhisattva. By rejoicing other's merits we should encourage others to perform more merits.

Preaching to the Dhamma

Preaching to the Dhamma, leading to the way of supreme happiness of Nibbāna is important factor for both the teacher and listener. By preaching to the Dhamma laid down by the Buddha, we should take our lucks or experiencing good because it is also basic factor to get experiencing good, happiness and peace of mind for someone. Without teaching to the Dhamma which leading to the way of supreme happiness or peace of mind, anyone who seeks real happiness or peace of mind can find out solution to his basic need. So that there is an urgent need for the teachers of the Dhamma in this world. Furthermore, if we do not teach or preach others to the Dhamma as we heard or learned before in detail, the Dhamma will disappear or has been destroyed out of bewilderment or confusion.

Listening to the Dhamma

By listening to the Dhamma, we can get the following five rewards accordance with Anguttaranikāya;
1. Hearing what we have not heard before,
2. Clarification what we have heard before,
3. Getting rid of our doubt about the Saddhamma,
4. Going straight our views and
5. Growth of serenity of our mind.
After listening to the Dhaamma, we should therefore adopt the way of the Dhamma which leading to supreme happiness of Nibbāna laid down by the Buddha.
We cannot deny the fact what the human world is depending on listening to the truth dhamma to be full of peace and beautiful minds in it.

Straightening One's View

Straightening view can be called Kammassakatā sammādhitthi in literal name too.it means right view of the ownership of action. When someone in Buddhism performs his actions he realizes its standard formulation in the statement; " beings are the owners of their actions, the heirs of their actions; they spring from their actions, are bound to their actions and are supported by their actions. Whatever deeds they do, good or bad, of those they shall be heirs." According to Buddhism, It is very essential to get peace of mind in this world. On stock passage, for example, affirms that virtuous actions such as giving and offering alms have moral significance, that good and bad deeds produce corresponding fruits. To understand the implication for the form of right view we first have to examine the meaning of its keynote kamm. Kamma means action. For Buddhism the relevant kind of action is volitional action, deeds expressive of morally determinate volition, since it is volition that gives the action ethical significance.

The Buddha expressly identifies action with volition. In a discourse on the analysis of kamma he says; Monks, it's volition that I call action (kamma). Having willed, one performs an action through body, speech and mind." The identification of Kamma with volition makes kamma essentially a mental event, a factor originating in the mind, which seeks to actualize the mind's drive, disposition and purpose. Volition comes in to being through any of three channels- body, speech or mind called the doors of action (kammadvāra). A volition expressed through the body is a bodily action, a volition expressed through the speech is a verbal action and a volition that issues in thoughts, plans, ideas and other mental states without gaining outer expression is mental action. Thus the one factor of volition differentiates in to three types of Kamma according to the channel through which it becomes manifest. Right view requires more than a simple knowledge of the general meaning of kamma. It is also necessary to understand ;(1) the ethical distinction of kamma in to the unwholesome and wholesome. (2) The principal case of each type and (3) the roots form which these actions spring. As expressed in Majjimanikāya" when a noble disciple understand what is kammically unwholesome and the root of unwholesome kamma, what is kammically wholesome and the root of wholesome kamma, then he has right view." Taking these points in order, we find that kamma is first distinguished as unwholesome and wholesome. Unwholesome kamma is action that is morally blame worth, detrimental to spiritual development and conducive to suffering for oneselfe and others. Unwholesome kamma, on the other hand, is action that is morally commendable, helpful to spiritual growth, and productive of benefits for oneself and others.

We can summarize these ten fold course of wholesome kamma as charity, morality and mental culture; i.e- the charity can consist of transference of merit and rejoicing in other's merits because not only these both oppose the natures of mind, feeling of discontent at other's fortunate or success and avarice or selfishness, the main cause of rebirth in Petaloka(miserable existence as the result or punishment of some former misdeeds (usually avarice ) but also charity oppose these two nature of them. ; The morality, service in helping others and reverence to others because they are subject to practice for human being day by day; the mental culture, preaching to the Dhamma, listening to the Dhamma and straightening one's view because by doing so one has pursued merits.

actions and to try to cultivate the good actions. By doing so we gain benefits not only in this life but also in many other lives.

To do so here we must understand wholesome or merits and unwholesome or demerits.

Chapter (2)

The Three Main Principles

Before understanding numbers of wholesome and unwholesome roughly, we should examine the nature of them. Herein we should ask by our self a question that " how can we judge if an action is good or bed?" According to Buddhism, the answer is very one. The quality of an action based on the intention or motivation (Cetanā) from which it originates. If a person performs an action out of greed, hatred and delusion, his action is considered to be unwholesome. On the other hand, if he performs an action out of loving-kindness, charity and wisdom, his action is considered to be wholesome. Greed, hatred and delusion are known as the "three evil roots", while loving-kindness, charity and wisdom as the "good roots". The word "root" refers to the intention from which that action originates. Therefore, no matter how a person tries to disguise the nature of his action, the truth can be found by examining his thoughts, which gives rise to that action. And the mind is the source of all our speech and action. In Buddhism, a person's first duty is cleanse himself of the mental defilements of greed, hatred and ignorance. If a person performs good action, he does not perform so because of fear or desire to please some divine beings. If this is so, he is still lacking in wisdom. He ids only acting out of fear like the little child who is afraid of being punished for being naughty.

A Buddhist should perform an action out of understanding the law of cause and effect and wisdom. He performs wholesome deeds because he realizes that by so doing he develops his moral strength which provides the foundation for spiritual growth, leading to liberation from mental and physic suffering. In addition, he realizes that his happiness and suffering are self-created through the operation of the law of Kamma. To minimize the occurrence of troubles and problems in his life, he makes the effort to refrain from doing evil. He performs good actions because he knows that these will bring him peace and happiness. Since every seeks happiness in life and since it is possible for him to provide the condition for happiness, there is every reason for him to do good and avoid evil. Furthermore the uprooting of these mental defilements, the source of all anti-social acts, will bring great benefits to other in society.

Furthermore, to understand merits and demerits, we have to first study qualities of these main principles preached by our Buddha to follow for human beings. There are three main principles which we have to practice adhere to. They are charity or alms giving (Dāna), morality or virtue (Sīla) and mental development or mediation (Bāvanā). In order to dispel the three kinds of impurities namely greed, hatred and delusion, which produce all suffering or human problems we need to, perform these three kinds of meritorious deeds. Offering alms or giving a charity can eradicate greed. Observing moral precepts or virtues in other words keeping the thoughts of loving-kindness can eradicate anger. Meditation can eradicate delusion. Without performing these factors the emotional fires that are stem from impurities can never be extinguished. Therefore these meritorious factors are very important to make our mind purified and get real happiness and peace.

The Nature of Merit and Demerit

The performance of good actions gives rise to merit, a quality which purities and calmness proceed from them. If our mind is unchecked, it has tendency to be ruled by evil tendencies, leading to perform bad deeds and getting in to troubles. Merits purify the mind of the evil tendencies of greed, hatred and delusion.

The greedy mind encourage a person to desire, accumulate and hoard the hating mind drags him to dislike and anger and deluded mind make him become entangled in greed and hatred thinking that these evil roots are right and worthy. Demeritorious deeds give rise to more suffering and reduce opportunities for a person to know and practice the dhamma Leading to get real happiness and peace which one wish to.

Merit is very important to help us along our journeys in cycle of birth and death. It's connected with what are good and beneficial to oneself and other and can improve the quality of the mind.

While gathering the material wealth, one's possession can be lost by thief, flood, fire and confiscation etc. But the benefit of good deeds follows him from life to life and it cannot be lost by any enemy. A person, who possesses merits, will be experience happiness here and now as well as hereafter through the performance of good deeds. Merit is a great facilitator; it opens the doors of opportunity everywhere. For instance, a meritorious person will succeed in whatever venture, he put his effort in to. If he wishes to do business, he will meet with the right contacts and a good friend. If he wishes to be a scholar, he will be awarded with scholarships and supported by academic mentors. If he wish to progress in meditation, he will meet with a skillful meditation teacher, who guides him by his spiritual development. Any way merits what had been performed by someone, follows to one like a show of him.

Our Buddha preached ten meritorious deeds for us to perform in order to gain a real happiness and peaceful life as well as to develop knowledge and comprehension of true life.

The ten meritorious deeds are as follow;
1. Charity (Dāna),
2. Morality (Sīla),
3. Mental culture (Bhāvana),
4. Reverence or respect (Apacayana),
5. Service in helping others (Veyrāvecca),
6. Sharing merits with others (Pattidāna),

To understand the real purpose of human being life, it is necessary for us to choose and follow a religious system; restraining from evil deeds, encouragement to do good action and enabling to purify our mind. For simplicity let us call this system “religious system”.

Religious system is expression of the striving human being. It is greatest power leading to self-realization. It has greatest power to transform one with positive qualities. It turns ignoble in to noble; the self-fish, unselfish; the proud, humble; the haughty, forbearing; the greedy, benevolent; the cruel, kind and so on. Religious system teaches us how to calm down the sense and make our heart and mind peaceful. The keynote of calming down the sense is to eliminate attachment which is the root of our disturbances. It is very important for us to have contentment. The more we crave for our property, the more we have to suffer. Property does not give real happiness to owner. Most of rich people in this world today are suffering from numerous physical and mental problems. With all the money belongs to them they cannot buy a solution to their problems. Yet the poorest men who have learnt to have satisfaction of desire many enjoy their lives for more than the richest people do.

If we realize the nature of human being life characterized by unsatisfaction, change and egoism as well as the nature of man’s greed and means of getting them satisfied, we can understand the reason why the happiness so desperately sought by many people is so elusive like catching shadow a moon bean in to the water. We try to again our happiness through accumulation of property again and again. But as far as we wish, we cannot get it. When we are not successful in accumulating wealth, gaining position, power and honor deriving pleasure from sense satisfaction, we go pained and suffered, envied others who are successful in doing so. Even if we are successful in getting these things, we suffer as well because we now fear losing what we have gained or our desires have now increased for more wealth, higher position, more power and greater happiness. Our desires never seem to be completely satisfactory. Therefore understanding the nature of human life we should not waste too much time doing impossible.

In this point the adoption of religious system becomes important, because it encouraged contentment and urge us to look beyond the demands of our flesh and ego. According to the religious system of Theravada Buddhism, by our selves we remind that we are the heir of our action and the master of destiny. In order to gain greater happiness we must be prepared to give up short-term pleasure.

According to the law of Kamma, rebirth will take place depended on qualities of our deeds; a person who has done many good deeds, may be born in favorable conditions where he enjoys wealth and success, beauty and strength, good health and meets good spiritual parents, friends and teachers. Wholesome deeds can also lead to rebirth in the heavens and other sublime states. Unwholesome deeds lead to rebirth in suffering states. Therefore understanding the law of kamma, we must make the effort to refrain from performing bad

As yet, we are still wrapped in ignorance. So we do not know what is expected of us. As result, we misinterpret every things and act on misinterpretation because we always pay our attention on sensual pleasure according to the nature of ordinary human being. In fact, our entire civilization cannot be built on misinterpretation. Our real peace and happiness been free from sufferings cannot be found based on our mind wrapped in ignorance.

According to the teaching of our Buddha, we must make an effort to overcome to arrive at realization and enlightenment; otherwise, we cannot be feeling real happy and peaceful. All great beings are born as human beings from the womb, but they worked their own way to their happiness and goal. Realization and enlightenment cannot be poured in to the human heart like water in to the tank. Every Buddha had cultivated his mind to realize the real nature of human life.

Of our human beings one can attain his goal where is free from several sufferings if he wakes up from the “dream” that is created by his ignorant mind and becomes fully awakened. He must realize that what he is today is result of an untold number of repetitions in thoughts and actions. Therefore we are not ready- made; we are continually in the life long process of becoming, always changing. According to the doctrine of our Buddha, we can always mould our character and destiny through the choice of our actions, speeches and thoughts because of significant human beings. Indeed, we must become in samsara by meaning of the cycle of birth and death in accordance with our destiny hold by our human being.

There are several aspects with regard to the nature of life. Some people understand it that life is not rose bed because of all of suffering in human life. Some religious teacher understand the nature of human life as a place where mix happiness with sufferings day to day. Any way, most of people dislike facing the true fact of life and prefer to lull themselves in to a false sense of security by sweet dreaming and imaginings. They mistake the shadow for the substance and consider false happiness as real happiness because they are slaves of craving for sensual pleasure. They fail to realize that life is uncertain but death is certain. Of the ways of understanding the nature of life, one way is to face and understand the death, which is nothing more than a temporary end to a temporary existence. But many people do not like even to hear of the word “death”. They forget that “life is not stationary. It is always moving. So they should know where we came from, we are going to now”.

Realization on death with the right method attitude can give a person courage and calmness as well as insight in to the nature of existence. We must understand that we are living a life that does not always proceed as smoothly as we would like it to. Very often therefore we must face problems and difficulties. We should not afraid of them because the penetration in to the very nature of these problems and difficulties provide us with a deeper insight in to our life.

The worldly happiness in wealth, luxury, respectable position in life which most of people are seeking is an illusion because of limitless felling. A progress of mind without limittation must change in to other position; negative or positive position. For instance- according to Buddhism one who indulges in sensual pleasure sometimes can satisfies his desire but indulgences in sensual pleasure can not give completely him satisfaction of desires because sensual pleasure are not ultimate truth and are like dream.

Problems of Human World
There are so many problems that we are facing to as long as we are in Sansāra, the cycle of bath and death. Our Buddha preached these problems as suffering in his first sutta namely Dhammacakkapavattana sutta. They are as follows;

Birth is suffering; old is suffering; sickness is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation and dejection are suffering. Contact with what is unpleasant and separation from the pleasant are suffering. Not getting what one wishes is suffering. In brief clinging to the five aggregates of the personality – body, feeling, perception, disposition and consciousness – as possessions of “my self” is suffering.

In addition we have also problems of industry, labor, wages, unemployment, angularity of opportunity, the gap between the have and the have-nots. Day to day we are finding out solutions of these problems. But we cannot do it completely because they appear very complicated as indeed they are. The aspiration of human being is a simple one; he merely wishes to be able to live in peace and happiness, with freedom to build his own little world in human dignity.

The Purpose of Human Being

It is necessary to understand the purpose of human being life. To know it, we will first have to study the subject through our experience and insight. We then will discover for ourselves the true meaning of our life. Guideline can be given, but we must create the necessary conditions for the arising of realization ourselves.

There are several prerequisites to the discovery of the purpose of life. First of all we must understand the nature of man and the nature of life. Next, we must keep our mind calm and peaceful through the adoption of a religious system. When these conditions are met, the answer, which we seek, will become like the gentle rain from the sky.

Understanding the Nature of Human life

Our human beings are clever enough to land on the moon and discover ponderous things in the universe but we have yet to delusion in to the inner workings of our own mind. Most of human beings have yet to learn how their mind can be developed to its fullest potential so that its true nature can be realized.

Dhamma

According to the Gandavamsa we say that Paramatthadipani plus 5 Tikas were written by Dhammapala but recently one Scholar, A.K Warder proposed the new theory that Dhammapala who is the author of Paramatthadipani and the Dhammapala who wrote Tikas on Visuddhi D.A, MA and SA, are two separate individuals. The reason why he proposed this theory is that Sariputta, who was one of commentatores during 13AD, whenever he makes reference to the commentaries of Dhammapala. But when he refers to one Dhammapala who supposes to be the author of Tika, he refers to him Acariya Dhammapala.

So on this basis A.K Warder believes that there must have been two Dhammapalas. One is Dhammapala who is the author of Paramatthadipani and another one is the author of Tikas but unfortunately it is rather difficult to prove that. In fact in the history of Pali literature we have more than one Dhammapala no doubt about it. In later period there was Cula Dhammapala. But he had nothing to do with Tikas. So this Cula Dhammapala excludes from our arguments.

A.K Warder had not done the extensive research on the commentaries by Dhammapala. In order to come to definite conclusion, one must be familiar with all commentaries and sub-commentaries that were ascribed to be the authorship of Dhammapala. Without having through investigation into all Athnakatha and Tikas, then one cannot come a definite conclusion.

At the moment we traditionally believe that Dhammapala who is the author of Paramatthadipani is also the same Dhammapala who wrote all these Tikas. So if that sanction goes on, then everything goes on.

The next question is here whether his commentaries were based on the sources of Mahavihara tradition. In another words whether Dhammapala represents Mahavihara tradition or others. In fact the basic sources on which Dhammapala wrote the commentaries were some of Sinhala sources such as Mahaatthakatha, Agama, A. Khandaka A, Porana A, Atthakathacariya, Acariya. These are definitely the sources belong to the Mahavihara tradition. Therefore we can definitely say that Dhammapala also represents Mahavihara tradition.

Then the next question here is whether he wrote his commentaries in Sri Lanka and his South India. Dhammapala does not mention any names of person or place in Sri Lanka in his commentaries. On this basis Prof.Mori believes that he wrote his commentaries in South India because had he come to Sri Lanka, he could have incorporated some of local elements of Sri Lanka in his commentaries as mush as Buddhaghosa did.

One possible reason is that not only Mahavihara but also “Abhayagiri had their branches in South India. Therefore it is quite possible that they would have sent manuscripts from Sri Lanka to India. Those manuscripts would have been available to Dhammapala when he was writing his commentaries. Unfortunaltely my knowledge is that Prof.Mari said no mention of Sri Lanka name of places and at the same time, we don’t also have any names of South India. How can you prove on this particular basis?