Prepared by
Evelin Halls, DipFLC
Pennie White BA DipEd
Abhidhamma Class No. 48, 20 May 2003
Samma-ajiva
Glossary
virati (Pali language): The three abstentions or abstinences are: abstention from wrong speech, wrong (bodily) action and wrong livelihood; corresponding to right speech, action and livelihood of the eight-fold path. Here abstention does not simply mean the non-occurrence of the evil things in question, but the deliberate abstaining therefrom, whenever occasion arises. They belong to the ‘secondary’ (not constant) mental concomitants obtaining in lofty consciousness.
sila (Pali language): ‘morality’, ‘virtue’, is a mode of mind and volition (cetana) manifested in speech or bodily action. It is the foundation of the whole Buddhist practice, and therewith the first of the 3 kinds of Training (sikkha) that form the 3-fold division of the 8-fold path (magga), i.e. morality, concentration and wisdom.
Virati cetasikas (3) are a sub-group of the 25 sobhana cetasikas (beautiful mental concomitants). They are connected with the abstinence from immoral actions, speeches and livelihood.
Dr Mehm Tin Mon (1995, p 92-93) writes:
“The three virati-cetasikas are known as the sila-maggangas (morality components of the Path). They constitute the sila-sikkha (morality-training) which is the foundation of the noble Eightfold Path.”
“The right livelihood means abstaining from a livelihood that brings harm to other beings, such as trading in arms, living beings, intoxicating drinks and poison as well as slaughtering, fishing, soldiering, deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, etc.”
The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi (1984) writes that “right livelihood is concerned with ensuring that one earns one’s living in a righteous way”...
“...The Buddha mentions five specific kinds of livelihood which bring harm to others and are therefore to be avoided; dealing in weapons, in human beings (slavetrade and prostitution), in living beings (meat production and butchery), in poisons, and in intoxicants.”
“He further names several dishonest means of gaining wealth which fall under wrong livelihood: practising deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, and usury.”
“Obviously any occupation which requires violation of right speech and right action is a wrong form of livelihood (Bhikkhu Bodhi, 1994, p 64-65).”
Buddhagosa (XIV,155) writes that the three abstinences have “the characteristic of non-transgression in the respective fields of bodily conduct, etc.; they have the characteristic of not treading there...”
“Their function is to draw back from the fields of bodily misconduct, and so on.
“They are manifested as the no doing of these things.
“Their proximate causes are the special qualities of faith, conscience, shame, fewness of wishes, and so on.
“They should be regarded as the mind’s averseness from evil-doing.
Bhadantachariya Buddhagosa (XVI, 80) states:
“When his or her right speech and right action are purified, his [or her] abstinence from wrong livelihood, which abstinence is associated with that [right view], cuts off scheming, etc., and that is called right livelihood. It has the characteristic of cleansing. Its function is to bring about the occurrence of a proper livelihood. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong livelihood.”
“Now virtue, so say those who know,
Itself as purity will show;
And for its proximate cause they tell
The pair, conscience and shame, as well.”
(Buddhagosa, no date, I, 22)
“This virtue is manifested as the kinds of purity stated thus: ‘bodily purity, verbal purity, mental purity’...; it is manifested, comes to be apprehended, as a pure state. But conscience and shame are said by those who know to be its proximate cause; its near reason, is the meaning. For when conscience and shame are in existence, virtue arises and persists; and when they are not it neither arises nor persists. This is how virtue’s characteristic, function, manifestation, and proximate cause, should be understood.”
(Buddhagosa, no date, I, 22)
“A good criterion for what is unskilful livelihood is motivation. If one’s motivation is impure, then that living is unskilful” (Ron Wijewantha, no date, p 10). Once we remove the impurities, we are left with right livelihood.
The Buddha said:
From skilful understanding proceeds purity of thought
From skilful thought proceeds purity of speech
From skilful speech proceeds purity of action
From skilful action proceeds purity of livelihood
From skilful livelihood proceeds purity of effort
From skilful effort proceeds purity of awareness
From skilful awareness proceeds purity of concentration
From skilful concentration proceeds purity of wisdom
From skilful wisdom proceeds liberation.
(quoted in “The Road to Liberation” by Ron Wijewantha, no date, p 16).
“When you begin in a trade or profession,
it is appropriate to accumulate wealth.
Once you have accumulated some wealth,
you should divide it into four parts:
one part to be used for daily necessities,
two parts to be used for your profession,
one part to be saved in case of unexpected need.”
(from the Samyukta Agama, cited in Yun, 1998: p 75).
Master Hsing Yun writes in his book “Being Good”:
“Buddhism has never been a religion that rejects wealth. Some of the most important early Buddhists were wealthy kings or wealthy merchants. Without their help, it is doubtful whether Buddhism would have spread as far as it did and as quickly as it did.
“Wealth can be like a poisonous snake if it is acquired illegally or if it inspires the mind to become lustful or greedy.
“At the same time, legally acquired wealth in the hands of a wise and generous person can bring great benefit to the world. Donations from wealthy people are a major source of funds needed to spread the Dharma, to publish Dharma literature, and to build temples.
“The heart of Buddhist morality is intention. If our intentions are good, we will be able to use wealth to benefit others. If our intentions are not good, we will be a negative influence in the world whether we are wealthy or poor.
The Sigalovada Sutra says:
“Anyone who wants to acquire wealth must know that there are six ways of gaining wealth which run contrary to Buddhist morality.
These six are:
1) devious or tricky ways
2) ill-timed ways
3) sloppy ways or ways which use alcoholic beverages
4) ways which depend on evil companions
5) ways which depend on prostitution
6) lazy and slothful ways.
(cited in Yun, 1998: p 76)
“The Buddha often said different things to different groups of people at different places. This was how he taught. These were his skillful means.
“A wealthy person can actually consider giving one fourth of his [or her] wealth to a monastery, while a poor person cannot.
“The heart of the Buddha’s teachings on wealth is to acquire it honestly and use it to help others. Wealth gives us a material opportunity to practice the positive aspects of Buddhist morality in this world;
“through the thoughtful and generous use of wealth we can learn non-attachment, compassion, generosity, and clear thinking. In the end, the greatest wealth of all is knowledge of our own Buddha nature. One glimpse of the awesome spiritual wealth that lies within you is worth more than all of the material wealth in the universe. (Yun: 1998, p 77)
Buddhagosa (XVI, 86) explains:
“...As regards the truth of the path: the heading of right view includes the fourth Road to Power consisting in inquiry, the Understanding Faculty, the Understanding Power, and the Investigation-of-states Enlightenment Factor. The term right thinking includes the three kinds of Applied Thought beginning with that of renunciation (Digha Nikaya, iii, 215). The term right speech includes the four kinds of Good Verbal Conduct (Anguttara Nikaya, ii, 131). The term right action includes the three kinds of Good Bodily Conduct (cf.M. i, 287). The heading right livelihood includes fewness of wishes and contentment. Or all these [three] constitute the Virtue Loved by Noble Ones, and the Virtue Loved by Noble Ones has to be embraced by the hand of faith, consequently the Faith Faculty, the Faith Power, and the Road to Power consisting in zeal, are included because of the presence of these [three]. The term right effort includes fourfold Right Endeavour, the Energy Faculty, Energy Power, and Energy Enlightenment Factor. The term right mindfulness includes the fourfold Foundation of Mindfulness, the Mindfulness Faculty, the Mindfulness Power, and the Mindfulness Enlightenment Factor. The term right concentration includes the three kinds of concentration beginning with that accompanied by applied and sustained thought (Digha Nikaya, iii, 219), consciousness concentration, the Concentration Faculty, [512] the Concentration Power, and the Enlightenment factors of happiness, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. This is how the exposition should be understood as to division of content.”
References
Bhikkhu Bodhi (1984), “The Noble Eightfold Path”, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, pp 64-65.
Buddhaghosa, Bhadantacariya, (no date), “The Visuddhi Magga”, translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore, I, 22; XIV, 143, 155; XVI, 78-80; XVI, 86.
Hsing Yun, Master (1998), “Being Good”, Weatherhill, Inc., New York, pp 7, 23-24, 75-76.
Mon, Dr. Mehm Tin (1995), “The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma”, publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, pp 92-93.
Nyantiloka (no date) Buddhist Dictionary, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan, pp 210, 247.
Wijewantha, Ron (no date) “The Road to Liberation”, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, pp 10, 16.
Chan Academy Australia
Chan Academy is a registered trading name of
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
A.C.N. 005 701 806 A.B.N. 42 611 496 488
33 Brooking St, Upwey, Victoria 3158, Australia
Telephone / Facsimile: +613 9754 3334
Email: wbu@bdcu.org.au
World Fellowship of Buddhists Regional Centre
LAN 2 reference I:\abhi047.rtf