Bro Teoh’s 18th Sept 2018 Tuesday class sharing

 [Via  Actions]

1.   killing (pānātipāta)

2.   stealing (adinnādāna)

3.   sexual misconduct (kāmesu  micchācāra)

[Via Speeches ]

4.   lying (musāvāda)

e.g. Deceitful, Dishonest, Two-faced

5.   slandering (pisunavācā)

e.g. Insult, Vilify, back biting

6.   harsh speech (pharusavāca)

e.g. Vindictive, Hurtful and strongly worded speeches, Threatening

7.   frivolous speech (samphappalāpa)

e.g. Irresponsible words, Instigative

[Via Thoughts ]

8.   covetous and selfish thoughts(abhijjhā)

e.g. Possessiveness, Desire, Lust

9.   ill-will or anger and hatred (vyāpāda)

e.g. Spite, Enmity, Malice, Cruel

10. false or deluded view (micchā ditthi)

e.g. Crooked, Misleading, Biased, Denial

[Question]

On the topic of killing, Sis Chwee asked whether the definition of “a living being” is characterised by having a cognitive mind.

[Answer]

Plants also have consciousness (mono), exhibit sensitivity and responds to environment (e.g. experience suffering). However, in this context, “a living being” refers to beings that breathe, i.e. having a life force. Note: the word “pānā” from the word pānātipāta and Ānāpānā sati.

[Question]

On the 5 conditions necessary to complete the evil act of killing, Bro Chin How asked regarding the scenario of “having only the intention to kill, but the actual action to kill was performed by someone else”.

[Answer]

The precept here is not ‘thou shall not kill’ but is ‘I undertake the training rule to abstain from killing.’ So a heedless person with the mental intention to kill, inadvertently develops the actions of killing (e.g. instigate or hiring someone else to kill) born of his negativity of mind state also commits the act of killing even though the killing was done by others. For mental intention (cetena) can leads to Karma.                     If you can kill, it means you don’t have love and compassion. Only an evil, deluded and selfish person kills.

[Question]

Sis Chwee shares her experience regarding how she finds it very difficult to deal with the tiny ants at her home, and she just had to apologetically get rid of them.   

[Answer]

• Bro Teoh advises her to cultivate Mindfulness leading to wisdom, thereby enabling her to develop the sensitivity towards all life forms via consciously nurturing LOVE and COMPASSION borne of WISDOM (the understanding to choose kindness, wholesomeness and virtues over karmic negativity);
• Our untrained mind is heedless due to our years of accumulatedgreed, hatred, fear and delusion; this heedlessness leads tokarmic negativity. In order to de-condition/de-program this heedless outflow of negative mental intentions via our habitual tendencies and heedless reactions to sense experiences we need to cultivate the four foundation of mindfulness leading to heedfulness to arise the wisdom (yoniso manasikara) needed for us to straighten our views.
  E.g. with kayanupassana, the moment a physical (or kaya) movement begins or arise (e.g. the intention leading to the action to kill), you will become aware and able to discern clearly to arise the choice not to kill; hence a wise and mindful person will not be able to violate the precept of killing.

[Question]

Sis PG shares her observation of counter dependent karmic roles. That is since these victims have karmic conditioning or potential from their previous lives to be afflicted so why not just let it be?  

[Answer]

Karmic potential need conditions for its fruition or arising. A victim being hurt by another, does not necessarily mean the victim has previously hurt that other person. In fact, it is often someone elsealtogether. Dependent on the different conditions that arise, everybody may encounters karma in varying manner. Likewise, when there is no condition, nothing happens to that person. This means if you have the dharma understanding to avoid the conditions for negative karma to arise then those karmic potential may not ripen.

[Question]

Sis Chwee shares her observation that 99.99% of sales people often talk rubbish and they lied.

[Answer]

If the salesperson had first verified that it is indeed a good andbeneficial product, then sales become a profession where there is no need to lie to do well. The usefulness of the product is most important and sincerity of approach during sale will bring in the sale. Not the commission. This is what right livelihood is all about.