..續本文上一頁f respect is built into the teaching itself. When you realize that the big issue here is the possibility of a great deal of pain or a lot of pleasure, true pleasure, it puts an edge on the teachings. It”s not just an interesting description of things. It points out a dilemma we”re all placed in. We”ve got to do something about it, for otherwise we just keep cranking out suffering all the time. If you”ve got any concern for your own wellbeing, you”ve got to take these truths seriously. And fortunately, the nature of suffering is something you can learn from and something you can do something about. The whole teaching on causality—the fact that your experience of the present is a combination of past factors plus your present input—means that you can develop skill in this area. If everything were totally predetermined, everything would be like a machine and there”d be no reason for respect because you couldn”t learn anything useful about it, you”d just be stuck in the machine, unable to do anything about it. On the other hand, if everything were totally uncaused or totally random, again, there”d be no reason for respect. There”d be nothing to learn because what you learned that worked today wouldn”t necessarily work tomorrow.

　　But our experience is shaped by patterns of causality with some influence coming to it from the past but also with the possibility for us to add influences in the present, right here, right now. That”s why respect is built into that causality: respect for the principle itself, that there”s something to learn from. But it”s complex. After all, the kind of causality the Buddha talks about is the same kind that creates chaos theory—which means that causes aren”t all that simple. There”s a lot to be learned. But it”s all right here in the present moment, which means you have to have respect for your own ability to learn as well. After all, all the causes the Buddha talks about are things right here. When he describes causality he says: “This comes with that; when there is this there is that.” The “this” and the “that” are things right here in front of us. So knowing that, you have to have respect for your own ability. But, since it”s complex and such an important issue, we”d be wise to have respect for people who have followed the path and gotten results. That”s why we pay so much respect to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, so that we don”t have to keep reinventing the Dhamma Wheel.

　　So, based on this principle of causality, there are three things we need to respect. First, the principle itself because reality”s not totally arbitrary. You can”t just make up things. You can”t decide, “Well, today I”m going to act on desire and I”m going to make desire a good thing.” If it”s an unskillful quality in the mind, it”s going to lead to unskillful actions. There”s no way around that. That”s a part of reality against which you just keep banging your head unless you learn to have some respect for it.

　　Secondly, respect for yourself, your own ability to do the practice. And also, at the same time, having respect for your desire to gain true happiness. The ordinary way of the world is to say, “Oh, true happiness, unchanging happiness: forget about it. Focus instead on the things we can sell to you. Lower your sights.” That”s what the world says. The Buddha says, “No, have respect for your desire for true happiness.” When you get complacent, you”ve lost respect for that desire. When you”re heedful, you”re keeping that desire in mind, showing it the proper respect. So, respect for yourself means two things: one, respect for your desire for true happiness and, two, respect for your ability to do something about it. That”s built in to the principle of causality as well.

　　And finally, given the complexity of the principle, y…

《Respect for Heedfulness》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…