Yes, not even the sacred sanctity of our spiritual institutions, Buddhist ones not exempted, is spared from this poison of politics. While it may be true that all Buddhist organizations (we hope) started off with the noblest of intention, many soon find themselves, to a larger or lesser extent, embroiled in some kind of politics. Sometimes, and sadly so, it is not only the laities who are involved. Monastics too are often participants and may even play a major role, something which they, given their noble status, have no business to do so, whatever the reason.
When politics begins to take hold of a Buddhist institution, the wholesomeness of its spiritual environment is compromised. Those sincere devotees who come to the institution to learn and practice Dhamma, or to do Dhamma work may find the environment no longer as supportive, edifying, or inspiring as before. The deception, machination, and scheming that accompany politics create an environment with an underlying sense of uneasiness. Trust, a very important glue that binds together the members of an organization, is slowly eroded and replaced by suspicion. Members begin to form factions that cannot see eye to eye. Arguments may break out. And even it does not, a highly tense and uneasy atmosphere is already created. Such an environment of distrust and discord is not conducive to, nor can it inspire any development of, wholesomeness or Dhamma.
One person who used to work in a meditation center said that there is more akusala or unwholesomeness working in a meditation center than outside of it. Why is this so? Why is it that doing Dhamma work, which is supposed to be wholesome, can end up being such an unwholesome undertaking?
The answer is simply because this is not Dhamma work. Politics is not Dhamma work. Politics with its intrigue, machination, scheming, manipulation, craftiness, deception, factionalism, etc. is driven by lust for position, control, power, authority, and fame. This is unwholesome. This clearly is a-Dhamma, against the Dhamma. When you see politics being played out in your temple, monastery, or meditation center, you can be sure that this is no longer Dhamma work. For Dhamma is clearly wholesome. There is no argument about this.
Dhamma enjoins its devotees to abstain from detrimental, unwholesome qualities such as greed, attachment, pride, cruelty, anger, ill-will, aversion, jealousy, avariciousness, delusion, etc., and to cultivate pure, wholesome spiritual qualities such as generosity, magnanimity, moral restraint, love, compassion, humility, equanimity, detachment, wisdom, etc. Above all it calls upon its devotees to purify their mind by cultivating in their minds the qualities of peace, tranquility, and deep insights into the nature of life.
“The non-doing of all evil,
The taking up of the wholesome,
The purification of one's mind:
This is the teaching of the Buddhas”
~ Dhammapada 183
What we call Dhamma work is the work of cultivating and promoting all these injunctions of the Dhamma, all the wholesome spiritual qualities which the Dhamma enjoins us to develop. And politics has no part in this. Politics is in fact detrimental to Dhamma work.
The purpose of Dhamma work is, first and foremost, personal spiritual development and upliftment. And secondly it is to ensure, as sincere Buddhist always hope, that the Buddha-Sāsana, the dispensation of the Buddha would endure long in the world for the welfare and benefit of all beings.
Corresponding to these two purposes there are these two kinds of Dhamma work: the internal and external. Internal Dhamma work means working to cultivate and develop the Dhamma within ourselves while external Dhamma work means promoting and encouraging the same in others, either through sharing or teaching the Dhamma directly, or, if we are unable to, through setting up or supporting a Buddhist center or through producing and distributing Dhamma materials such as books, CDs, etc.
Real Dhamma work actually begins with ourselves, by cultivating within our hearts the wholesome spiritual qualities and virtues as expounded by the Dhamma, qualities and virtues such as generosity, magnanimity, love, compassion, humility, peace, tranquility, detachment, wisdom, insight, etc. It involves training ourselves in the three branches of the training of the Noble Eightfold Path: the training in virtue (sīla-sikkhā), the training in concentration (samādhi-sikkhā), and the training in wisdom and insight (paññā-sikkhā).
Although this internal Dhamma work is a rather personal one its effects actually transcend the realm of the personal as it has its implication in general on the duration of the Buddha-Sāsana. The duration of the Sāsana depends on its strength which is in turn a function of the sum total of the strength of its individual devotees. And the strength of the individual devotees depends on the extent to which the devotee has cultivated, developed and internalized Dhamma values within his or her heart. It is only when the wholesome spiritual qualities of the Dhamma is alive and strong in the heart of each and every one of its devotees that the Sāsana becomes strong, vibrant and is able to last long.
Also, whatever external Dhamma work we can perform, whether in teaching Dhamma, teaching meditation, setting up and supporting a Buddhist society, meditation center, or a center for Buddhist studies, etc., it will not be meaningful or sustainable unless we have ourselves cultivated, developed, and internalized the Dhamma qualities and values within our hearts and know for ourselves the true benefits and significance of the Dhamma. Only if we have ourselves been touched and inspired by the true benefits and significance of Dhamma practice can we then go on to share it effectively and meaningfully with others.
“One should first establish oneself in what is proper; then only one should teach others. A wise man should not incur reproach.
~ Dhammapada 158
So unless one has trained oneself in the Dhamma, internalizing within one's mind all the wholesome and noble qualities befitting of one who calls himself a disciple of the Buddha, one is not ready to do any Dhamma work outside of oneself.
“But, Subhadda, should the bhikkhus dwells rightly, the world shall not be empty of arahants.”
~ Dīgha-Nikāya Sutta 16
Therefore if we are genuinely concerned about the long lastingness of the Buddha Sāsana in this world and wish to support this cause by doing Dhamma work externally in whatever ways we can, we should endeavor to “dwell rightly” first. This is not to say that we must be perfect in every respect. No one is expected to be an arahant in order to do Dhamma work. But we do need to at least be above any gross display of defilements and have an uncompromising sincerity to serve the Dhamma with a genuine heart.
We should also ideally be grounded in a sound understanding of the basic principles of the Dhamma and have a good grasp of its purpose. This will always serve as a reliable guide to which we can turn to and draw guidance from should we be uncertain of our direction while carrying out Dhamma work.
Above all we must always be honest with ourselves. From time to time in the course of our Dhamma work we need to evaluate ourselves honestly to see if what we are doing in the name of Dhamma work right now is still true to the spirit of the Dhamma that we originally aspired to, or have we strayed from the path. We need to be totally honest with ourselves regarding this. We must acknowledge that we are still not perfect, still subjected to the mental defilements, cannot always be right, and is still liable to make mistakes. With defilements still present in our minds it is easy to sometimes get carried away by emotions or obsessions and become sidetracked. It is only human to do so.
It is alright to make mistakes so long as we acknowledge our mistakes, make amends, learn from them, and resolve not to repeat them. But only if we review ourselves honestly will we be able to acknowledge our mistakes. Without honesty we will not acknowledge a mistake as a mistake, or worse, we will justify it, even drawing support for our mistake and unwholesomeness by making some twisted reference to the Dhamma or Vinaya. Only with genuine honesty and sincerity will we be able to stay on the track of the Dhamma as we perform our internal and external Dhamma work. Without these qualities we can easily lose our way and allow unwholesome practices such as politics to creep in to taint our noble work.
With regards to honesty a helpful practice is to cultivate mindfulness and clear-comprehension. These two qualities together helps us to see our intentions and motivations clearly and as they really are. One may be able to fool the whole world about one's true intentions. And without mindfulness and clear-comprehension one will even be able to fool oneself. But when one reflects on one's intentions on the mirror of mindfulness and clear-comprehension their true nature reflects clearly back on one such that one can no longer deny their unwholesomeness if there is any. Mindfulness and clear comprehension never deceive us, but always betray the true nature of our intentions.
Dhamma work should be carried out for the sole purpose of supporting the growth of Dhamma qualities both within ourselves and in others. It should not be carried out for any personal selfish gain. The way of most worldly organizations is to derive material benefits out of their work. But Buddhist organizations are spiritual organizations. Those who do Dhamma work should not bring their worldly habits, ways, and values into Dhamma work. They should instead allow the wholesome spiritual values of the Dhamma to inform their Dhamma work. Dhamma should not be changed to conform with worldly values, but worldly values should be tempered with spiritual values. If we do not allow the values of Dhamma to change and transform the way we work but keep insisting that Dhamma should change to suit the development in the worldly world, how are we ever going to derive any benefits from our Dhamma practice? Remember that the Dhamma is a teaching that is rooted firmly in the universal laws of moral causation. What is true of the Dhamma that the Buddha taught in his time still holds true today.
The only gain that one should expect of Dhamma work is spiritual gain: the increase in wholesome spiritual qualities and spiritual happiness. It would be better for a Buddhist organization to remain poor and happy with its spiritual integrity intact than to be rich but unhappy due to its failure to live up to its spiritual principles.
“Bhikkhus, be my heirs in Dhamma, not my heirs in material things.”
~ Majjhima-Nikāya Sutta 3
In carrying out our external Dhamma work we should also always keep in mind the following six principles that the Buddha gave which are the foundation for preserving harmony and concord in any Buddhist community:
“Bhikkhus, there are these six principles which are worth remembering, that create love and respect and lead to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity. What six?
“Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu maintains bodily acts of loving-kindness both in public and in private towards his companions in the holy life. This is a principle which is worth remembering, that creates love and respect and leads to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity.
“Again, a bhikkhu maintains verbal acts of loving-kindness both in public and in private towards his companions in the holy life. This is a principle which is worth remembering, that creates love and respect and leads to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity.
“Again, a bhikkhu maintains mental acts of loving-kindness both in public and in private towards his companions in the holy life. This is a principle which is worth remembering, that creates love and respect and leads to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity.
“Again, a bhikkhu uses things in common with his virtuous companions in the holy life. Without making reservation, he shares with them any gain that he has righteously acquired in a way that accords with the Dhamma, including even the mere contents of his bowl. This too is a principle which is worth remembering, that creates love and respect and leads to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity.
“Again, a bhikkhu dwells both in public and in private possessing in common with his companions in the holy life those virtues that are unbroken, untorn, unblotched, unmottled, liberating, commended by the wise, not misapprehended, and conducive to concentration. This too is a principle which is worth remembering, that creates love and respect and leads to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity.
“Again, a bhikkhu dwells both in public and in private possessing in common with his companions in the holy life that view that is noble and emancipating, and leads one who practices in accordance with it to the complete destruction of suffering. This too is a principle which is worth remembering, that creates love and respect and leads to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity.
“These are the six principles which are worth remembering, that create love and respect and lead to cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity.”
~ Majjhima-Nikāya, Sutta 48
A Dhamma worker, especially if he is working with a group of people, should also always pay careful attention to right speech. Speech is the primary means through which we communicate our ideas and intentions to those around us. But speech can be easily misconstrued. Our choice of words, the way we construct our sentences, the tone of our voice, all these can influence the way others interpret our words to understand our intentions. Often human conflicts arise out of unskilful use and distorted interpretation of words. We should at all times endeavor to articulate facts truthfully and clearly, and not try to distort or hide any facts, even partially.
There are some who have the idea that it is alright, if one has the “pure” intention to serve the benefits of the overall community, to tell a partial truth or deliberately withhold certain pertinent information from another person in order to influence that person to agree with certain decisions or plans. They claim this is not lying, but that one has simply chosen not to reveal some facts. Firstly, if one can even think such crooked and manipulative thoughts, can one be truly certain of the purity of one's intention? Secondly, even if the intention is to serve the benefit of the community, and even if the community do benefit from it, what happen when the other person finds out that one has not been totally honest and open with him? Wouldn't this be sowing the seed of discord in the community? Will this be for the benefit of the community? And thirdly, in Dhamma work, the means does not justify the end. To be considered Dhamma work both the means and the end must conform to the principles of Dhamma. In this case the principle involved is that of truthfulness. We must use a truthful means to serve a truthful end. If the means one uses is not truthful then doubt is cast on the integrity of one's Dhamma work.
So it is better to be totally open and honest in our communication with others. There must always be an open, truthful, mature, and civilized communication and exchange of ideas in the Buddhist community. This is not only important in preventing discord and preserving harmony in the community. It is also helpful when we have to deal with any disagreement that may arise among members of the group in the course of doing Dhamma work. There are many ways and approaches to get a work done. Dhamma work is no different. There can be several approaches all of which are in accordance with Dhamma principles. But there can be disagreement among the members on the choice of approach. Disagreement is something that is bound to arise when working in a group of people with diverse opinions.
It is always good to have some healthy disagreement in a group because it tells us that there is another point of view or approach which is possibly better than ours, if we would only hear it out. Any disagreement should be brought out and discussed. But for any meaningful exchange to take place any discussion must be conducted in an open, truthful, mature, civilized, and friendly manner, showing proper respect for the other person, having the patience to hear him out and to consider his point of view objectively, as well as having the willingness in ourselves to accept the other person's idea if it is proven to be better and more reasonable. Hostility and a condescending attitude should be shunned. Otherwise any discussion will soon degenerate into quarrels. Perhaps it is due to the lack of skills in carrying out any meaningful discussion in the way just mentioned that often times any issue that arise in a Buddhist community is either swept under the carpet and allow to fester there uneasily or one resort to politics to get one's way. Both these ways do harm to the community.
Slanderous and harsh words should of course also be avoided for obvious reasons. We must always aim to preserve harmony and cordiality in the community even in the face of disagreement. We must learn to settle our disagreement is a decent, civilized, and friendly manner, including agreeing to disagree if no agreement can be reached, and to put the matter to a fair vote.
“Thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of friendships, who enjoys concord, rejoices in concord, delight in concord, a speaker of words that promote concord.”
~ Majjhima-Nikāya, Sutta 27
Another important attitude to have when doing Dhamma work with others is that of forgiveness. Sometimes even sincere people can make mistakes out of carelessness or lack of mindfulness. As mentioned earlier, as long as the mental defilements are still present in our minds we can be easily carried away by our emotions and obsessions. A single moment of unmindfulness is all it takes for us to lose ourselves in the grip of our mental defilements. And unless we have also cultivated a strong habit of mindfulness, which can often time kick in when we need it the most, it will be very difficult to dislodge ourselves from the influence of the defilements once they got a firm grip of our minds. It may be too late before we realized the detrimental effects that our defiled action is having on others around us. When we know how difficult it is for us to tame our own defilements, we should be more willing to forgive another person of his mistakes, especially when he had repented and is willing to atone for it.
A person who is forgiving will often be surrounded by truthful people; For they feel comfortable confessing their faults in his presence. A person who is unforgiving will often times find themselves in the company of dishonest men who will contrive means to conceal their faults from him.
There are of course many other points to be discussed concerning how to carry out our Dhamma work effectively and in accordance with the basic principles of the Dhamma. It is not possible to list all of them here. But it all finally boils down to having a firm grasp of the basic principles of the Dhamma and its purpose, and then to use our common sense to apply the Dhamma in our lives with genuine honesty and sincerity coupled with mindfulness and clear comprehension.
Dhamma work is always spiritually beneficial for both ourselves and others. May all those who are at present doing Dhamma work, and all those who will in the future do so, always work with honesty and sincerity, with a genuine heart to serve the Sāsana. May they not allow unwholesome elements which are extraneous to the Dhamma to enter and corrupt their noble intention. And most importantly, even as they carry out their external Dhamma work, may they never forget or neglect the more important Dhamma work that is to be perform within their own heart.
May the Buddha-Sāsana endure long in this world for the welfare and benefits of all.
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