From killing to taking intoxicants, from killing to wrong views - when committed, are these wholesome or unwholesome? Due to unwholesome kamma, don't the results lead to hell realms, animal realm, peta realm, and asura realm after death? Is this happiness or suffering? This comes from unwholesome kamma. Isn't it frightening?
When one abstains from killing through to abstaining from intoxicants, from killing through to wrong views - is this unwholesome or wholesome? Don't the results of wholesome kamma lead to human realm and six deva realms? Is this suffering or happiness? This is why we must believe in kamma and its results.
Would someone who truly believes in kamma still consult fortune tellers, spirit mediums, or occultists? Would someone who believes in kamma create new unwholesome kamma? When someone creates new unwholesome kamma, is it because they believe in kamma or don't believe? This needs careful examination. Therefore, understanding kamma and its results is essential.
In the story of Sunluntha Thera, there are people whose wholesome kamma is ripening and those whose unwholesome kamma is ripening. Those experiencing wholesome kamma results are smiling, while those experiencing unwholesome kamma results are frowning. This is the difference between wholesome and unwholesome kamma. Unwholesome leads to suffering, wholesome leads to happiness. People can talk about it, but not understanding the true meaning is the problem.
Ask anyone - do they want to suffer or be happy? They'll say they want happiness. If you want happiness, you must do actions that lead to happiness. If you want happiness but do actions that lead to suffering, how can you expect happiness?
This is why belief in kamma is necessary. Everyone says they want happiness, but their actions lead to suffering. They want happiness but perform actions leading to suffering."
"If someone speaks ill of you in public, humiliating you, would you get angry? Is this anger wholesome or unwholesome? You want happiness, but anger is unwholesome.
You say you want happiness but perform unwholesome actions. Didn't the Buddha teach that anger is unwholesome? This already leads to suffering. Therefore, we need to avoid anger.
From the conventional truth perspective, when someone insults you, does your skin peel off? There's no need for anger. If your skin was peeling, then you should be angry. If there's no physical harm, is there any need for anger? Does it hurt like a needle prick?
In the Mangala Sutta, isn't patience declared supreme? We must examine the benefits and drawbacks. When we know there's no physical harm and no real pain, we can practice patience. Doesn't this resolve things on the conventional level?
From the ultimate truth perspective, aren't we taught to be mindful when hearing? When being mindful, is it a person or just sound? When someone calls you 'dog' or 'thief' - with mindfulness, is it a person or just sound?
Doesn't the sound itself provide evidence? Do you see a person or hear a sound? With the ear, you only experience sound. Is there any 'thief' to be found in the sound? Is there anything in the mere sound to be angry about?
Consider this: If a foreigner who doesn't understand Burmese is insulted in Burmese, would they get angry? They hear the sound, but is there anything inherently anger-provoking in the sound? If anger was inherent in the sound itself, wouldn't they become angry immediately upon hearing it?
After a year, when they understand Burmese, they might ask what 'dog's son' means. When it's explained, then they become angry. Did they get angry before understanding? This shows that anger comes from wrong attention (ayoniso manasikāra) and wrong perception.
In the form aggregate of sound, isn't it wrong perception to take it as an insult? When examined, is it an insult or just sound? The Buddha taught that hearing is covered by perception (saññā), and perception must be clarified by mental formations.
This leads to three distortions (vipallāsa):
1. Distortion of perception (saññā-vipallāsa)
2. Distortion of thought (citta-vipallāsa)
3. Distortion of view (diṭṭhi-vipallāsa)
Don't these three distortions lead to identity-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi)? With identity-view, whether you perform wholesome or unwholesome actions, can you escape saṃsāra? No, you cannot. This all happens because of wrong attention. Therefore, we must believe in kamma and rely on wisdom..."
You say you want happiness but perform unwholesome actions. Didn't the Buddha teach that anger is unwholesome? This already leads to suffering. Therefore, we need to avoid anger.
From the conventional truth perspective, when someone insults you, does your skin peel off? There's no need for anger. If your skin was peeling, then you should be angry. If there's no physical harm, is there any need for anger? Does it hurt like a needle prick?
In the Mangala Sutta, isn't patience declared supreme? We must examine the benefits and drawbacks. When we know there's no physical harm and no real pain, we can practice patience. Doesn't this resolve things on the conventional level?
From the ultimate truth perspective, aren't we taught to be mindful when hearing? When being mindful, is it a person or just sound? When someone calls you 'dog' or 'thief' - with mindfulness, is it a person or just sound?
Doesn't the sound itself provide evidence? Do you see a person or hear a sound? With the ear, you only experience sound. Is there any 'thief' to be found in the sound? Is there anything in the mere sound to be angry about?
Consider this: If a foreigner who doesn't understand Burmese is insulted in Burmese, would they get angry? They hear the sound, but is there anything inherently anger-provoking in the sound? If anger was inherent in the sound itself, wouldn't they become angry immediately upon hearing it?
After a year, when they understand Burmese, they might ask what 'dog's son' means. When it's explained, then they become angry. Did they get angry before understanding? This shows that anger comes from wrong attention (ayoniso manasikāra) and wrong perception.
In the form aggregate of sound, isn't it wrong perception to take it as an insult? When examined, is it an insult or just sound? The Buddha taught that hearing is covered by perception (saññā), and perception must be clarified by mental formations.
This leads to three distortions (vipallāsa):
1. Distortion of perception (saññā-vipallāsa)
2. Distortion of thought (citta-vipallāsa)
3. Distortion of view (diṭṭhi-vipallāsa)
Don't these three distortions lead to identity-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi)? With identity-view, whether you perform wholesome or unwholesome actions, can you escape saṃsāra? No, you cannot. This all happens because of wrong attention. Therefore, we must believe in kamma and rely on wisdom..."
