 |
 |
The non-virtuous deeds
The non-virtuous deeds (mi gewi le) are caused by the five poisons (dhug nga) and the result of the ten non-virtues actions with their fruits. According to one of the Dho texts, it is essential to overcome non-virtues deed, identify the poisons that cause them, and then avoid them. Without purification or overcoming the five poisons, there is no way to attain enlightenment.
Just as a doctor must diagnose the cause of an illness and then prescribe the right medicines to cure us, we must recognize how the five poisons affect us and then apply the antidotes through the practice. Through this practice, our awareness grows to slowly subdue the power of the five poisons, each of which is described below:
The Five Poisons
1. Ignorance (Timug)
Ignorance keeps us in utter darkness and dullness that we don't see or understand the true nature of the mind. We are unable to see the clear difference between virtuous and non-virtuous deeds, or to recognize the power of the law of cause and effect. Ignorance is very much like things that cannot be seen in their full beauty because of the fog in the monsoon season.
2. Attachment (Döchag)
We need to be able to part with what we have and stop wanting more and more. The desire for possessions has no end and no possibility of satisfaction. This is the suffering caused by the poison of attachment.
This is similar to drinking salt water when we are thirsty. Our thirst will not be quenched and we will continue to suffer from the lack of water. Another example would be seeing something that doesn't belong to us, but that we would very much like to have, even though we know it's impossible to have. This bubbling desire is very similar to boiling water that keeps bubbling over the fire when we put the fire out.
It is important to detach from these material conditions and practice the nature of impermanence. We should know how to let go or use these objects in a better way. Who knows what the life will bring next and how long these material goods will remain in our power?
All of this happens because there is a lack of understanding and contentment. We need to understand how to be content with the conditions we live in and appreciate them for what they are. Otherwise we will never be satisfied. There is a saying in Tibet: «If we are happy in the practice as we are doing now, then we will be happy and able to overcome attachments».
3. Anger (Zhedang)
Anger is the most powerful of the five poisons. The benefits of a lifetime of practice can be destroyed by just a minute's intense anger. In order to overcome anger, it is necessary to always be aware and attentive to our inner thoughts.
Anger can arise when someone we don't like uses harsh language towards us. Immediately we can be disturbed in our inner peace and react with harsh words. We lose the control of our body's actions and the energy of the inner fire element heats up as if fanned by a strong wind.
We should think carefully and be aware to overcome this poison. Instead of reacting in a negative way, we should try to understand that the anger within us is more dangerous and harmful than any external enemy. We can control this inner enemy through the practice of love, kindness, and compassion for all sentient beings. This practice will also help us to overcome all external enemies.
4. Pride (Ngagyal)
Pride defines that we value ourselves as better than others. This means that we think that we are in a higher position or better educated than others, or that we think we have more wealth or knowledge. We always try to make others look worse and lower than ourselves. This attitude and behavior does not let us see the qualities of others and prevents us from learning from them.
We must recognize our interdependence. There is always something we can learn from the people around us. It is necessary to start living and thinking with real openness so that we can learn from others. There is always someone who is better informed or stronger than us or with other qualities that are not as strong in us.
Others are worthy of our respect. When we are unable to overcome our pride, we are like an iron ball that cannot absorb water, even though it has been left out in the rain for years. Likewise, although we are surrounded by wise and well-read people, we have no way of receiving their wisdom because our pride completely blocks the access to their knowledge.
5. Jealousy (Trakdog)
Jealousy can arise when we see that others are content and happy: they have a better life, are in a higher position, or have more wealth than we. This shows that our own abilities to accept and enjoy the happiness and contentment of others are very narrow. Our lack of understanding of the vastness of our own inner ability causes us to believe that good things only happen to others and never to us.
Caught in our jealousy, we create negative thoughts and actions to prevent good conditions for others. We fear that we have a loss from someone else's success.
Therefore, it is crucial to recognize that we ourselves enjoy the same circumstances and that others have the right to enjoy them as well. Everyone deserves happiness and contentment. The longing for better things is natural to humans.
With practice, we can train our minds to be more flexible and open, so that we can more easily accept good situations for ourselves and others.
For all sentient beings, and especially for us as practitioners, the most dangerous enemies are our own five poisons. If we don't rid ourselves of these poisons, we cannot attain the enlightenment. However, every sentient being has the ability to overcome the five poisons.
We should be vigilant in each of our actions so that we can correct our mistakes and commit to not doing so again. Unless we keep our attention on these poisons constantly, we will not be able to subdue them, and we will gradually sink lower and lower under their influence. The precious life of that perfect human body will come to an end without having fulfilled its purpose of attaining enlightenment and helping all sentient beings to break free from the suffering of this cyclical world.
We can, through practice, apply the teachings as an antidote to the poisons, in accordance with the path of turning away from Dho (Pong Lam Dho), the path of transforming of Sang Ngag (Gyur Lam Ngag) or the path of self-liberation or Dzogchen (Dol Lam Dzogpa Chenpo). It is important to choose which of these paths brings the most benefits in daily life and which one is most appropriate according to one's level of consciousness.
The ten vices are mainly caused by the influence of the five poisons. These are classified into the three non-virtuous deeds of the body (lü kyi mi gewa sum), the four non-virtuous deeds of speech (ngag kyi mi gewa zhi), and the three non-virtuous deeds of the mind (yid kyi mi gewa sum), each of which follows is described.
The three non-virtuous deeds of the bodyDie drei untugendhaften Taten des Körpers
1. Taking a Life (Sog Chodpa)
This can be generated by three of the five main poisons: anger, ignorance, and attachment. For example, life can be taken during a war that is mainly based on anger. We can also take the life because of attachment, like wanting to eat meat or wanting to have a fur coat.
We can also take another's life because of ignorance or lack of a clear understanding of the positive and negative causes and effects. We believe that we are not involved in killing any being, but in fact every human being is involved in this non-virtuous act.
Whether we are vegetarians or non-vegetarians, we sustain ourselves by killing animals and plants. Even by walking on the ground we kill microscopic creatures. For this reason, we should all purify ourselves continuously from these negative deeds.
2. Stealing (Ma Jin Lenpa)
This is the desire to obtain a material object, directly or indirectly through violence or robbery. Our intention is to own something, no matter what we have to do to get it. Our attachments can lead us to commit this act. It is very important to develop detachment from material objects in order to avoid the desire to steal.
3. Sexual Misconduct (Log Yem)
This affects lay practitioners, especially when they take vows of austerity, on special days such as Tönpa Shenrab's birthday, the birth and death days of other great masters, and the full moon days in the monasteries. Having a sexual relationship without the partner's consent is also considered sexual misconduct.
The four non-virtuous acts of speech
1. Lies (Zün Mawa)
This non-virtuous act has two aspects: lying with the intent to harm or deceive others, and lying with no intent to harm anyone. The most serious lie is to give another person the impression that we have wisdom or knowledge that we do not actually have.
Telling our teacher that we have visions of God, deities, or other visions that we have never actually seen is a lie that has extremely negative results. It is common for people to try to get some temporary benefit from lying without caring about the resulting ill effects.
It is wiser to consider the long-term consequences for yourself and others before deciding to lie, as lying can cause suffering. Lies, unlike truth, do not have the energy of eternal power.
2. Intentionally causing trouble between friends (Tra Ma)
This non-virtuous act will occur through the jealousy and narrowness of thought when we generate negative thoughts toward friends or community. We destroy true closeness between people when our intention is to lie to break up a friendship.
This is a powerful negative act because we have hurt the innocent hearts of true friends. We have planted among them the seeds of poison that will grow until the friends realize our deceitful intent. Even if we then purify our negative thoughts, we will not be free from receiving the negative results of that action because we were the source.
We should realize that our negative behavior will affect us as well as others. Instead, we should cultivate positive merit and virtuous deeds that can lead to happiness and joy, and bring back together those who have been separated by intentional malice.
3. Harsh Words (Tsig Tsup)
This non-virtuous act is one of the most powerful acts that can harm us. There is a Tibetan proverb that says «The harsh word is not a weapon, but it will cut your heart in pieces». When we talk to someone, it's important to be aware of the words we're using. Harsh words don't necessarily have to be spoken out loud or in anger.
Words spoken politely can also harm beings even when the person concerned is not present. Harsh language breeds very energetic anger or jealousy, so we must be careful how we address family, friends, elders, and others. Pointing out other people's weaknesses in public is like putting a finger in their eyes. To overcome this behavior, one must learn how to speak properly with genuine, loving, and honest intent.
4. Gossip (Ngag Khyal)
This non-virtuous act can occur with or without intention. For example, we often spend our time talking about things with friends with no particular goal in mind. This is unintentional gossip. But intentional gossip can also be created to set in scene. Basically, gossip means that we spend our time talking or laughing without aim or purpose. This activity is called wasting time.
The three non-virtuous deeds of the mind
1. Negative Thoughts (Ngen Sem)
This non-virtuous act is the generation of negative thoughts. When we see an object we would like to have, it can stay in our mind and our admiration for it can grow stronger. It gets our attention even if we don't own it. Another example is when seeing someone having a happy and successful life, we can create evil thoughts that he or she should not experience joy or success.
2. Harmful thoughts towards others (Nod Sem)
This non-virtuous act is similar but more violent than the negative thoughts (ngen sem). It means willingness to cause harm to others or to destroy something in order to cause misery. When we see the joy and happiness of others or see them living in luxury, and this fuels our harmful thoughts, we want to destroy their happiness, hoping bad things will happen to them or we direct harmful thoughts towards them, which is called nod sem.
When we want someone to lose something, or on a larger scale, when we are contemplating killing someone, we are more apt to act under the influence of anger. There are also aspects of jealousy where harmful thoughts towards others are involved.
3. Wrong views towards the teachings (Log Ta)
This non-virtuous act of the mind is a result of a lack of understanding of the essential spiritual aspects of the teachings. Depending on Karma, there are a variety of views those appearance could possibly be called wrong, such as disbelief in the truth of the law of cause and effect or disbelief in past births and future rebirths.
Other erroneous views cannot accept that enlightenment is attained as a result of practice or cannot accept the truth and quality of the Bön teachings. All of these support and follow the path of wrong views.
As described in the text by Mutek Zar Chö Ten Tsik Tek Dho, there are 360 different types of wrong views, which can be simplified to 99 types of wrong views. In the simplest classification, there are two main infidel traditions: eternalism (tag ta) and nihilism (che ta).
If we see the teachings as insignificant or unimportant, we block ourselves from entering the spiritual path and benefiting from its positive qualities. Therefore, it is important for a better human existence to trust, believe in and respect all aspects of the teachings. The end of our life is death. All of us will experience the result of our own negative actions and thoughts at that very last moment.
All negative actions of our mind are intended to harm others intentionally. All harmful thoughts toward others indicate a lack of understanding of love and compassion. Therefore it is important to reflect on the nature of love and compassion in order to create more positive thoughts about others and life in general. This practice also helps us to develop openness and flexibility.
The law of cause and effect is simply true. Every aspect of our virtuous deeds will lead to peace, happiness and goodness. In the same way, all non-virtuous deeds of body, mind, and speech will cause us and others to experience suffering and unhappiness. The best way to purify our negative actions is to develop our inner wisdom and engage us in the practice.
To rid ourselves of non-virtuous deeds, we should practice generosity with pure intention. This is of merit, even if one only offers a single flower or incense stick. We can also generate the things of offering mentally in our mind.
The Ten Virtuous Deeds
Practitioners must strictly practice the following ten virtuous deeds (gewi le chu) üben:
- Avoiding taking the life of another being,
- Practice generosity,
- Practice mindfulness,
- After moral discipline overcoming sexual misconduct,
- Telling the truth and avoiding lies,
- Trying to bring together friends who have broken up (rather than breaking up friends by spreading rumors),
- Speaking peacefully and calmly instead of using a harsh language,
- Engage us in the practice (doing prayers and recitations instead of wasting time on gossip),
- Being free from evil thoughts towards others (generating love and kindness instead of harmful thoughts towards others) and
- Being free from wrong views on the teachings (realizing the law of truth of cause and effect and walking the spiritual path).
The result of our virtuous and non-virtuous actions either compels us to be born in this cyclical world of suffering or liberates us to attain the enlightenment.