"Through conventional truth of consciousness-seeing, isn't it taught that we must believe in kamma-ownership right view (kammassakatā sammādiṭṭhi), the two aspects of unwholesome and wholesome kamma?
From killing living beings to taking intoxicants, from killing to wrong view - when one commits these, is it wholesome or unwholesome kamma?
Isn't it taught that due to unwholesome kamma, the resultant states immediately after death are hell realms, animal realm, hungry ghosts, and demons? Is this happiness or suffering? This is due to unwholesome kamma. Isn't this frightening?
From abstaining from killing to abstaining from intoxicants, from abstaining from killing to abstaining from wrong view - when one abstains, is it unwholesome or wholesome kamma? Due to wholesome kamma, isn't it taught that the results are human realm and six deva realms? Is this suffering or happiness? This comes from wholesome kamma. Isn't it proper to have faith in kamma?
#Will_one_who_believes_in_kamma_still_do_unwholesome_deeds? Unwholesome leads to suffering, wholesome leads to happiness. Therefore, isn't it taught that one must have faith in kamma and rely on wisdom?"
"The Butcher's Example":
"So, one needs to understand the two types of kamma - wholesome and unwholesome. Some people don't understand this. In big cities like Mandalay and Yangon, they slaughter thousands of buffaloes and cattle, and tens of thousands of pigs daily.
Those who kill and sell these animals - is it wholesome or unwholesome? It's unwholesome. Does unwholesome lead to happiness or suffering? #It_leads_to_suffering. Yet when we look at these people, what do we see? They wear gold and diamonds.
Look at their elbows - gold bracelets almost reaching there. They eat abundantly. They have three cars - one for morning, one for afternoon, one for evening. They keep changing cars. They own three buildings. People say they're wealthy, right? Seeing their lifestyle, their living conditions.
People say they're very wealthy, but they're doing unwholesome work. Didn't the Buddha teach that unwholesome actions lead to suffering? Despite the Buddha teaching this, why are these people prospering? Isn't this worth investigating? It's because of their dana (generosity) and sila (morality) from many past lives.
Those wholesome kammas couldn't give results before, #but_now_they're_bearing_fruit. When wholesome kamma is giving results, can we see their unwholesome kamma's effects? Let's say this wholesome kamma has 15 years worth of results. During these 15 years, they live abundantly, eat high-quality food, wear fine clothes.
They buy the best cars. Isn't this worth studying and analyzing? But after 15 years, don't their unwholesome actions accumulate daily? While the wholesome kamma giving results decreases day by day - it had 15 years worth of results to give.
When 15 years are complete, doesn't the wholesome kamma run out? Then the unwholesome kamma takes over. Buffaloes die, cattle die, pigs die - they lose their capital. The meat they sell goes on credit. Eventually, they have no capital left. They have to sell their buildings, their cars, their jewelry."
This teaching uses a powerful example to illustrate how kamma works - showing how past wholesome kamma can temporarily mask the effects of current unwholesome actions, but eventually, all kamma bears its appropriate fruit. It's a warning about not being deceived by temporary prosperity while engaging in unwholesome actions.
"So, one needs to understand the two types of kamma - wholesome and unwholesome. Some people don't understand this. In big cities like Mandalay and Yangon, they slaughter thousands of buffaloes and cattle, and tens of thousands of pigs daily.
Those who kill and sell these animals - is it wholesome or unwholesome? It's unwholesome. Does unwholesome lead to happiness or suffering? #It_leads_to_suffering. Yet when we look at these people, what do we see? They wear gold and diamonds.
Look at their elbows - gold bracelets almost reaching there. They eat abundantly. They have three cars - one for morning, one for afternoon, one for evening. They keep changing cars. They own three buildings. People say they're wealthy, right? Seeing their lifestyle, their living conditions.
People say they're very wealthy, but they're doing unwholesome work. Didn't the Buddha teach that unwholesome actions lead to suffering? Despite the Buddha teaching this, why are these people prospering? Isn't this worth investigating? It's because of their dana (generosity) and sila (morality) from many past lives.
Those wholesome kammas couldn't give results before, #but_now_they're_bearing_fruit. When wholesome kamma is giving results, can we see their unwholesome kamma's effects? Let's say this wholesome kamma has 15 years worth of results. During these 15 years, they live abundantly, eat high-quality food, wear fine clothes.
They buy the best cars. Isn't this worth studying and analyzing? But after 15 years, don't their unwholesome actions accumulate daily? While the wholesome kamma giving results decreases day by day - it had 15 years worth of results to give.
When 15 years are complete, doesn't the wholesome kamma run out? Then the unwholesome kamma takes over. Buffaloes die, cattle die, pigs die - they lose their capital. The meat they sell goes on credit. Eventually, they have no capital left. They have to sell their buildings, their cars, their jewelry."
This teaching uses a powerful example to illustrate how kamma works - showing how past wholesome kamma can temporarily mask the effects of current unwholesome actions, but eventually, all kamma bears its appropriate fruit. It's a warning about not being deceived by temporary prosperity while engaging in unwholesome actions.
"Eventually, they have nowhere to live, nothing to eat, no capital left. They live in temporary shelters. #When_they_die_can_they_escape_the_lower_realms? Their prosperity while doing unwholesome deeds was due to past wholesome kamma bearing fruit. Isn't this worth analyzing? Doesn't the Buddha teach that #one_who_has_learning_becomes_noble?
One person receives guidance from good teachers. Don't they perform wholesome deeds from waking until sleeping? They do wholesome deeds daily. Isn't happiness said to come from wholesome deeds? Yet they have no food, no clothes, live in a hut, eat only boiled beans. Isn't this worth contemplating?
They do wholesome deeds daily. Isn't happiness said to come from wholesome deeds? Why aren't they prospering? Isn't this worth investigating? It's because of unwholesome deeds from many past lives - stealing others' food and clothes. #That_unwholesome_kamma_is_giving_results.
They do wholesome deeds daily, from waking until sleeping. Can they escape the results of past unwholesome kamma? Doesn't the Buddha teach 'kammam vipakassa'? As this unwholesome kamma gives results daily, doesn't it gradually decrease?
The unwholesome kamma might give results for 20 years. They do wholesome deeds daily but still struggle. However, they have faith in kamma. They think: #when_did_I_start_doing_wholesome_deeds? #how_old_am_I_now? They know #these_are_wholesome_deeds. They have faith.
In such circumstances, would they consider stealing, hunting, or robbing? #Having_faith_in_kamma, they understand: "I'm poor now because I stole others' food and clothes in past lives. That kamma is giving results." Don't they live with this understanding?
They do wholesome deeds daily, from waking until sleeping. They maintain the five precepts perfectly. Will such a #person_who_believes_in_kamma create new unwholesome kamma? No. When those 20 years of unwholesome kamma results are exhausted, doesn't it end?
When the unwholesome kamma is exhausted, a close friend gives them a lottery ticket. That's all they can afford. The lucky couple wins 300 lakhs. When unwholesome kamma is exhausted, doesn't wholesome kamma emerge?
This is kammassakatā sammādiṭṭhi - right view of ownership of kamma. One who believes in kamma and its results takes care of their precepts like they take care of their clothes. #They_are_complete_in_sīla. They earn honestly. They take only what comes through righteous means - sama-lobha, not visama-lobha (wrong desire)."
One person receives guidance from good teachers. Don't they perform wholesome deeds from waking until sleeping? They do wholesome deeds daily. Isn't happiness said to come from wholesome deeds? Yet they have no food, no clothes, live in a hut, eat only boiled beans. Isn't this worth contemplating?
They do wholesome deeds daily. Isn't happiness said to come from wholesome deeds? Why aren't they prospering? Isn't this worth investigating? It's because of unwholesome deeds from many past lives - stealing others' food and clothes. #That_unwholesome_kamma_is_giving_results.
They do wholesome deeds daily, from waking until sleeping. Can they escape the results of past unwholesome kamma? Doesn't the Buddha teach 'kammam vipakassa'? As this unwholesome kamma gives results daily, doesn't it gradually decrease?
The unwholesome kamma might give results for 20 years. They do wholesome deeds daily but still struggle. However, they have faith in kamma. They think: #when_did_I_start_doing_wholesome_deeds? #how_old_am_I_now? They know #these_are_wholesome_deeds. They have faith.
In such circumstances, would they consider stealing, hunting, or robbing? #Having_faith_in_kamma, they understand: "I'm poor now because I stole others' food and clothes in past lives. That kamma is giving results." Don't they live with this understanding?
They do wholesome deeds daily, from waking until sleeping. They maintain the five precepts perfectly. Will such a #person_who_believes_in_kamma create new unwholesome kamma? No. When those 20 years of unwholesome kamma results are exhausted, doesn't it end?
When the unwholesome kamma is exhausted, a close friend gives them a lottery ticket. That's all they can afford. The lucky couple wins 300 lakhs. When unwholesome kamma is exhausted, doesn't wholesome kamma emerge?
This is kammassakatā sammādiṭṭhi - right view of ownership of kamma. One who believes in kamma and its results takes care of their precepts like they take care of their clothes. #They_are_complete_in_sīla. They earn honestly. They take only what comes through righteous means - sama-lobha, not visama-lobha (wrong desire)."
"Because of such people, Sakka, the king of devas in Tavatimsa (one of the six deva realms), bows his head three times when surveying the human realm. Have you heard?
Then Matali and Vissakamma, Sakka's attendants, ask: 'Lord Sakka, when morning comes, you survey the human realm and bow - who are you bowing to?'
To those in the human realm who earn righteously and support their parents, do you hear? Those who support their spouses, those complete in sila (morality) who support their children and family, those who support their parents.
'I, Sakka, bow to such people,' he says. Even Sakka bows to them! That's how powerful the five precepts are, do you hear?"
This teaching illustrates the immense value of ethical living and caring for one's family through righteous means. It shows that even the king of devas, Sakka, pays respect to humans who maintain moral conduct and fulfill their family responsibilities through honest work. This emphasizes that true worth comes not from status or wealth, but from moral conduct and fulfilling one's duties righteously.
Then Matali and Vissakamma, Sakka's attendants, ask: 'Lord Sakka, when morning comes, you survey the human realm and bow - who are you bowing to?'
To those in the human realm who earn righteously and support their parents, do you hear? Those who support their spouses, those complete in sila (morality) who support their children and family, those who support their parents.
'I, Sakka, bow to such people,' he says. Even Sakka bows to them! That's how powerful the five precepts are, do you hear?"
This teaching illustrates the immense value of ethical living and caring for one's family through righteous means. It shows that even the king of devas, Sakka, pays respect to humans who maintain moral conduct and fulfill their family responsibilities through honest work. This emphasizes that true worth comes not from status or wealth, but from moral conduct and fulfilling one's duties righteously.
"The Value of the Five Precepts":
"Consider how valuable the Five Precepts are. Take perfumes from England or America - foreign fragrances. They might only be smelled within this Dhamma hall, not reaching the street. But the Five Precepts' fragrance spreads throughout the country.
Don't people say such a person has good character, good moral conduct? Don't they say they're very honest and upright? These words of praise spread throughout the country. Nothing has a better fragrance than sila (moral conduct). #Only_sila_produces_this_fragrance. Like a gentle breeze carrying flower fragrance, isn't this worth believing in?
When unwholesome kamma is exhausted and wholesome kamma bears fruit, doesn't one prosper? Consider those who prosper while doing unwholesome deeds - their unwholesome actions aren't apparent because #past_wholesome_kamma_is_giving_results. But when that past wholesome kamma is exhausted, doesn't the unwholesome suddenly appear? Then at death, can they escape the lower realms?
Isn't it worth having faith in kammassakatā sammādiṭṭhi - right view of ownership of kamma? Think about it. When wholesome kamma is exhausted, unwholesome takes over. When unwholesome kamma is exhausted, doesn't wholesome take over? #This_needs_to_be_believed.
Nothing is as powerful as the Five Precepts. It's called metta (loving-kindness) too. It's called paritta (protection) too. Without the Five Precepts, chant all you want - #these_parittas_won't_be_effective, do you hear? 'Mettā saddo ananto' - nothing equals the Five Precepts. Isn't this worth analyzing? This is fundamental..."
"Consider how valuable the Five Precepts are. Take perfumes from England or America - foreign fragrances. They might only be smelled within this Dhamma hall, not reaching the street. But the Five Precepts' fragrance spreads throughout the country.
Don't people say such a person has good character, good moral conduct? Don't they say they're very honest and upright? These words of praise spread throughout the country. Nothing has a better fragrance than sila (moral conduct). #Only_sila_produces_this_fragrance. Like a gentle breeze carrying flower fragrance, isn't this worth believing in?
When unwholesome kamma is exhausted and wholesome kamma bears fruit, doesn't one prosper? Consider those who prosper while doing unwholesome deeds - their unwholesome actions aren't apparent because #past_wholesome_kamma_is_giving_results. But when that past wholesome kamma is exhausted, doesn't the unwholesome suddenly appear? Then at death, can they escape the lower realms?
Isn't it worth having faith in kammassakatā sammādiṭṭhi - right view of ownership of kamma? Think about it. When wholesome kamma is exhausted, unwholesome takes over. When unwholesome kamma is exhausted, doesn't wholesome take over? #This_needs_to_be_believed.
Nothing is as powerful as the Five Precepts. It's called metta (loving-kindness) too. It's called paritta (protection) too. Without the Five Precepts, chant all you want - #these_parittas_won't_be_effective, do you hear? 'Mettā saddo ananto' - nothing equals the Five Precepts. Isn't this worth analyzing? This is fundamental..."