6. The Final Night — Fare Thee Well
No one can surpass the Lord Buddha in wishing for people to be virtuous and good. His Teaching was offered so that people in the world might find goodness and happiness. He didn”t want the world to be troubled and hurt through misdeeds arising from ignorance of the right way of conduct. The building up of the perfections1 to become a Buddha, full of compassion for all sentient beings, was an exacting task — very different from all other forms of achievement. And his mastery went along with his compassion, hand in hand.
Anyone listening to the Lord Buddha”s teachings — from his own lips or from the scriptures — and trusting those principles of truth would then try to correct and improve themselves, so as to be a virtuous person. One inpidual takes it up, and a second, and then each family member, however many there might, be all change themselves for the better. One virtuous person — but when such people live together it becomes one virtuous family-circle, and then one virtuous village, and town and country. There”s no need to ask about the whole country”s peace and stability for it must definitely follow from the goodness of all its inpidual citizens.
On the other hand, hardship and discontent only arise because of wrong doings and baseness. The number of corrupted inpiduals corresponds to the extent that the body of society is stuck with ”splinters and thorns”. The more there are, the more hellish the world becomes. It is then dark both in the night and daytime, and is in a constant state of disturbance. There is no need to go and search after hell for it is being forged right there in the hearts of people. From there it spreads and extends everywhere, turning all to fire. This only happens because of those wrongdoings, not because of what is skillful and right.
When things are in harmony with the Buddha Dhamma such a situation can”t arise. There would then be no need for judges, courts of appeal or a supreme court. There would be no cases to settle because everyone is intent on living virtuously, all trying to follow a just and sensible way together. In discussions there would be mutual understanding — it wouldn”t matter if it were between young and old, man and woman, ordained and householder. This springs from a deep understanding of the nature and reasons for goodness and baseness that is within one”s heart. There only would be the wish and intention to see in the way of reason, truth, and virtue. Everyone would listen sympathetically to one another, and always conduct themselves fairly and justly with no need for secrecy.
The world, however, doesn”t seem to follow the heart”s wish. Wherever one goes, there are only complaints about suffering and misfortune. The whole earth seems to be in a state of confusion and unrest, even though everyone studies and searches for knowledge. This knowledge, however, doesn”t appear to be of much use — it might even end up burning one instead — because it isn”t knowledge imbued with Dhamma. It doesn”t have Dhamma to add a protective coat or to act as a support, a brake, an accelerator, or steering-wheel. It therefore trundles forward in any old direction, without any limit or bounds.
When examined in this light, the value and importance of the Lord Buddha”s Dhamma stands out clearly. The inpidual effort to change oneself for the better, even though one can”t do the same for anyone else, will provide peace and contentment wherever one is. Such happiness will result from your right actions and way of living, and this will follow for anyone who practices in the same way.
This right way and contentment have a series of levels — everyone being able to step up to the general level with the right intention and effort. Don”t allow yourself to miss out on t…
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