Of Wrongful Views and Practices

Of Wrongful Views and Practices


In line with my previous entry, 'You See What I See?', I would like to bring up a Teaching by The Buddha on wrong views and practices.

Something for everyone to seriously consider, given the number of myriad kinds of views and practices out there now.

Perhaps it's time All of us, especially those who call themselves 'Buddhists', contemplate carefully on.

Like I said in 'Taking Refuge' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/08/taking-refuge.html,

"Be like a dry sponge.

BUT be a sponge that absorbs clean, clear pure fresh water;

NOT a sponge that absorbs dirty muddy water."

Enjoy!



"Then Punna, a son of the Koliyans and an ox-duty ascetic, and also Seniya a naked dog duty ascetic, went to The Blessed One,

And Punna the ox duty ascetic paid homage to The Blessed One and sat down at one side,

While Seniya the naked dog-duty ascetic exchanged greetings with The Blessed One,

And when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he too sat down at one side curled up like a dog.

When Punna the ox-duty ascetic sat down, he asked The Blessed One:

"Venerable sir, this naked dog-duty ascetic Seniya does what is hard to do: he eats his food when it is thrown on the ground. That dog duty has long been taken up and practiced by him. What will be his destination? What will be his future course?"

"Enough, Punna, let that be. Do not ask me that."

A second time... A third time Punna the ox-duty ascetic asked The Blessed One:

"Venerable sir, this naked dog-duty ascetic Seniya does what is hard to do: he eats his food when it is thrown on the ground. That dog duty has long been taken up and practiced by him. What will be his destination? What will be his future course?"

"Well, Punna, since I certainly cannot persuade you when I say 'Enough, Punna, let that be. Do not ask me that,' I shall therefore answer you.

"Here, Punna, someone develops the dog duty fully and unstintingly, he develops the dog-habit fully and unstintingly, he develops the dog mind fully and unstintingly, he develops dog behavior fully and unstintingly.

Having done that, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of dogs.

But if his view is such as this:

'By this virtue or duty or asceticism or religious life I shall become a (great) god or some (lesser) god,'

That is wrong view in his case.

Now there are two destinations for one with wrong view, I say:

Hell or The Animal womb.

So, Punna, if his dog duty is perfected, it will lead him to the company of dogs;

If it is not, it will lead him to Hell." MN 57: Kukkuravatika Sutta — The Dog-duty Ascetic

- The Buddha, Majjhima Nikaya 57




"You should not think that The Lord Buddha ever behaved in an abandoned manner, like all people in the world, where they like to adjust and change their manners and behaviour depending on the people and circumstances they come across.

When people have completely lost all interest in Dhamma, they are capable of doing all kinds of evil without having any sense of remorse or shame at all.

It is people of this kind who are capable of doing great harm to their own companions and to Buddhism ( Sasana - The Buddha's Teachings ), by depending on the yellow robe and the requistes as their means of living and destroying themselves.

Because Dhamma does not adapt to ancient or modern times, for "Dhamma" is just "Dhamma", and the "world" is just the "world",

And they have always been thus and they do not change and adapt.

But distorting The Dhamma to suit their desires or fancies without any thought of looking to see whether it is appropriate or not

Is the same as the practice of "jumping the queue",

And the results which they are anxious to attain will be out of line,

Like a broken queue,

Or the wrong way round, and useless ........

This is nothing but the way to destroy themselves entirely,

Due to going the easy way and taking short cuts as one likes

And doing the practice in the manner of "jumping the queue".

- Venerable Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta Thera




"Sahâ vassa dassana sampadâya
For him with acquisition of Insight,

Tayassu dhammâ jahitâ bhavantî
Three things are abandoned, namely,

Sakkâya-ditthi vici-kicchi-tanca
Self-illusion, doubt and

Sîlabbatam vâpi yadatthi kinci
Indulgence in (wrongful) rites and ceremonies, whatever there are.

Catû hapâyehica vippa muttô
From the four states of misery, he is absolutely freed,

Cha câbhi thânâni abhabbo kâtum
And is incapable of committing the six heinous crimes.

Idampi Sanghê ratanam panîtam
Truly, in the Sangha is this precious jewel.

Etena saccena suvatthi hôtu
By this Truth, may there be Happiness!"

- The Buddha, The Ratana Sutta - The Discourse of Jewels