..续本文上一页ion — "What is meant by virtue
" — can be answered as follows: The Pali word for virtue, sila, means normalcy. "Normalcy" refers to a lack of deviation in thought, word, and deed, while "lack of deviation" refers to the act of not doing evil with one”s deeds, not speaking evil with one”s words, and not thinking evil with one”s thoughts: in other words, abstaining from three types of harmful bodily action, four types of harmful speech, and three types of harmful thought. The three bodily actions to be avoided are taking life, stealing, and taking intoxicants and engaging in illicit sex. To avoid these things, not letting the body deviate in their direction, is for the body to be in a state of normalcy. The four types of speech to be avoided are lies, pisive tale-bearing, coarse and abusive speech, and idle, aimless chatter. To keep one”s speech from deviating in the direction of these things is for speech to be in a state of normalcy. For thought to be in a state of normalcy means (a) not coveting the belongings of others, (b) not feeling ill will toward those people or living beings whose actions are displeasing, and (c) viewing things rightly: seeing that all living beings fare according to their actions — those with good intentions will meet with good, those with evil intentions will meet with evil — and that no one aspires to suffering. Once you see things in this way, maintain this viewpoint. Don”t let it deviate into ways that are wrong.
To keep one”s thoughts, words and deeds in a state of normalcy and equilibrium like this is what is meant by virtue. The word "equilibrium" here, though, doesn”t rule out all action; it rules out only the types of action that cause one”s words and deeds to move in ways that are wrong. Apart from such deviations, whoever has the energy to perform work of whatever sort in making a living is free to do so, because the precepts of the Buddha aren”t lazy precepts or faint-hearted precepts, down-and out or bump-on-the-log precepts — i.e., precepts that don”t let you do anything at all. That”s not the sort of thing the Buddha taught. As for speech, whoever has anything to say that is free from harm is free to go ahead and say it. The precepts of the Buddha aren”t mute precepts or dumb precepts; they”re precepts that let you speak what is proper. And as for the mind, whoever has ideas that will lead to knowledge or ingenuity in making a living is free to think them through. The Buddha didn”t forbid this sort of thinking. He forbade only those things that are harmful, because the basic principle of virtue in Buddhism is to abstain from what is evil or crooked in thought, word, and deed, and to develop what is upright and honest in thought, word, and deed. This shows that the Buddha taught to abstain from those things that ought to be abstained from, and to do those things that ought to be done. This point is substantiated by such factors of the Noble Path as Right Undertaking and Right Livelihood. But most of us believe that to maintain the precepts confines you to a monastery and prevents you from making a living or even wiggling a finger. This belief is wrong: counter to the Buddha”s teaching and detrimental to the progress of the world.
To maintain the precepts — to be virtuous — means to keep one”s words and deeds in a state of normalcy. Whatever work virtuous people perform is pure. The wealth they obtain as a result is solid and lasting. Whatever virtuous people say — no matter how much they speak — won”t grate on the ears of their listeners. It can bring fortune their way, as well as leaving the ears of their listeners soothed. Whatever virtuous people contemplate, if it”s a difficult job, it will become easier; if it”s an object to be made, it may become beautiful, all because of the very pr…
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