Friends
reciprocate by:
5th
direction: As an employer, one should
support one's servants and employees, who are likened to
the "lower direction," as
follows:
A servants
or employees helps his employer by:
6th
direction: As a Buddhist, one should show reverence to
the monks, who are likened to the
"upper direction," as follows:
Monks helps
lay people by:
B.
Helping one another for social harmony, i.e. helping
one another and contributing to creating social peace, stability
and unity according to the four principles for helpful
integration (sangahavatthu สังคหวัตถุ),
namely:
SECTION
TWO
STEERING LIFE TO
ITS OBJECTIVES
A. Three Objectives. One should conduct one's life so as to
attain the three levels of objectives (attha อัตถะ) as follows:
Level 1:
ditthadhammikattha ทิฎฐธัมมิกัตถะ , i.e. the
temporal objective or present benefit
A) Enjoying good health, physical fitness, freedom from
maladies, and longevity.
B) Having work and income, having honest livelihood, and
being economically self-reliant.
C) Having good status, and gaining the respect of
society.
D) Having a happy family, establishing a good reputation of
one's family.
All the four objectives aboce should be rigteously achieved and
utilized for the sake of oneself and others.
Level 2:
samparayikattha สัมปรายิกัตถะ , i.e. the
spiritual objective or further benefit.
A) Being endowed with warmth, deep appreciation and
happiness; being not lonesome or unfirm; having an ideal to adhere
to so as to be strong with faith.
B) Being proud of a clean life, of having done only wholesome
deeds with virtue.
C) Being gratified in a worthwhile life, in having always
done what is beneficial with sacrifice.
D)
Being courageous and confident to resolve problems as well as
conduct one's life and duties with wisdom.
E) Being secure and confident in having a guarantee for the
future life in consequence of having done only good
deeds.
Level 3:
paramattha ปรมัตถะ , i.e. the
highest objective or greatest benefit.
A) Having a secure, peaceful and stable mind, unshaken even
when affected by the ways of the world or confronted with
vicissitudes or change.
B) Not being so distressed by clinging or attachment as to
feel disappointed or sorrowful; having a mind that is relieved,
clear, bouyant and free.
C) Being refreshed, cheerful, not sullen or depressed; being
radiant and free from suffering; enjoying genuine bliss.
D) Being well aware of causes and conditions and acting
accordingly; leading a life that is impeccable and bright;
conducting oneself with wisdom.
One who is able to attain from the second level of benefit
upwards is known as a wise man (pandita บัณฑิต).
B.
Three fronts of objectives. These three levels of objectives
should be realized on all three fronts:
1st
front: attattha อัตตัตถะ , i.e. the objective for oneself
or one's own benefit; the three levels of benefits explained above,
which one should realize for oneself or develop one's life to
attain.
2nd
front: parattha ปรัตถะ , i.e. the objective for others or
other people's benefit; i.e. the three levels of benefits explained
above, which one should help other people successively achieve by
guiding and encouraging them to develop their lives.
3rd
front: ubhayattha อุ ภยัตถะ
, i.e. the mutual objective or benefit to both parties;
the collective benefit, happiness and virtue of the community or
society, including environmental conditions and factors, which we
should help create and conserve in order to help both ourselves and
others advance to the three levels of objectives mentioned
above.
BUDDHISTS OF THE
LEADING TYPE
Those Buddhists who are referred to as upasaka อุบาสก and upasika
อุบาสิกา [Buddhist lay followers]
are considered Buddhists of the leading type. They must be
steadfast and firmly established in the [Buddhist] principlas to
serve as examples for Buddhists in general. Apart from observing
the Buddhist's discipline, they must possess the five
qualities of Buddhist lay followers (upasakadhamma อุบาสกธรรม) as follows:
A CONSTITUTION
FOR LIVING
by P.A. PAYUTTO พระธรรมปิฏก (ป.อ. ปยุตฺโต)
Translated from the Thai
by Bruce Evans