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What do
Buddhists consider Wisdom
Venerable
Mahinda
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Abridgement
of Unibuds Dhamma talk given on Friday,
August
20th 1993 at the University of NSW.
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Wisdom is a
very important quality to possess. Wisdom is
very clearly
spelt out in the teachings of the Buddha,
in the Noble
Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path
consists of
1 Right Understanding, 2 Right Thought, 3
Right
Speech, 4 Right Action, 5 Right Livelihood, 6
Right
Effort, 7 Right Mindfulness, and 8 Right
Concentration.
Panna
(wisdom) comprises Right Understanding and Right
Thought.
Right Understanding means to know and
understand
the Four Noble Truths.
Right
Thought means to think three kinds of thoughts:
- Thoughts
of renunciation or thoughts which do not have
lustful
desires.
- Thoughts
of goodwill to others as opposed to thoughts
of
illwill.
- Thoughts
of harmlessness as opposed to cruelty.
The Noble
Eightfold Path can lead us to the end of
suffering
and all conflicts. However in order to get
into this
path it takes us a certain amount of wisdom.
Right
understanding refers to our understanding of
fundamental
truths about life and the world around us.
We should
try to understand two laws; the Four Noble
Truths and
the law of cause and effect - karma. This is
very basic
and fundamental to Buddhism.
Every
action has a reaction just like Newton's 3rd law
of motion.
Karma has both physical and moral effects.
Good begets
good and evil begets evil. A good doer
experiences
evil as long as the good karma ripens not.
There are
people who indulge in wrong things and appear
to have good
lives. The results of their actions will
come back to
them sooner or later. Also those who
perform
unwholesome or bad actions are reborn in
unfortunate
states.
When
you practice with a higher, more peaceful state of
mind, your
higher understanding of karma allows you to
transcend
worldly existence. You must train your minds.
For example,
you hear me now, the vibration of my voice
box - this
is the cause. The sound hits your eardrum...
The process
of hearing involves so many individual
causes and
effects If you understand this, that when
causes
arise, affects also arise, your wisdom for
responding
to other events in your life will improve.
We
must understand dhukka. Dhukka is suffering, or
unsatisfactoriness. Associating with conditions
or
unfulfilled desires, subjects you don't
like, people
you don't enjoy, is dhukka. For example,
how long can
you laugh? One day? Two? Three? Even
laughter is
dhukka. You cannot maintain your laughter.
The
Five grasping Aggregates are also dhukka. These
five
characteristics of self-awareness are; 1 Physical
form which
has given rise to the body, 2 Feelings and
sensations,
3 Perception, 4 Mental formations, thoughts
and
imagination, and 5 Conciousness.
If you
don't grasp the aggregates, they come and go. If
you grasp
the aggregates, that is, if you grab your
thoughts,
objects and you think it is real, it will
condition some emotions in you. Then you will attach
yourself to
the feelings/emotions you have generated to
the
sensations/object you have grasped. After you have
attached
yourself to something and you lose it, you get
very
upset.
To overcome
suffering you need to overcome your craving.
You should
follow the Noble Eightfold Path and try to
always see
things as they are. Whether you are Buddhist, Christian, or
Muslim, this
change will happen to you!
The truth of
existence is that everything is changing.
Anything
that is changing is dhukka. Is your body yours?
Can you keep
your body? Your hair, which you love so
much keeps
falling out. Also your nails, your teeth,
your skin...
They are all dying cells, but you cling to
them, cling
to your eyebrows, and you give them pastel.
Delusion is
looking in the mirror and thinking you can
keep your
beautiful looks. The body is made up of
elements.
When you die and they put you in a box, your
body will be
reduced to carbon and perhaps a few
But
wisdom is not the pure accumulation of knowledge
and
theories. These dhamma talks you attend I hope will
help
compliment your university studies. Tell me which
Faculty
teaches you how to overcome your craving ? Which
Faculty
helps you overcome your anger ? Everytime you
radiate
thoughts of loving kindness to all sentient
beings, you
are building your wisdom. Your compassion
helps
others, removes their fears, and anxieties and
gives them
confidence. I hope you have all gained some
wisdom this
evening !
Abridgement
of Dhamma talk given on Friday, August 20th
1993 at the
UNSW as reported by Mick Kiddle.