..续本文上一页or it”s the basic foundation of our inner worth. If the mind is dark and defiled instead of being bright and pure, then no matter how much we practice generosity, virtue, or meditation, we won”t get any results. The Buddha knew that we”re all going to have to go abroad (start a new life after death), which is why he taught us to develop inner worth as a way of knowing how to get our provisions ready. We have to know how to get to where we want to go, how to dress properly, and how to speak their language. We”ll also have to put money in the bank so that we”ll be able to exchange it for their currency.
"Putting money in the bank" means generosity in making donations and being charitable. Learning their language means knowing how to say that we take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Being complete in our virtue is like having fashionable clothes to wear. Yet even if we have funds to exchange, good clothes to wear, and know how to speak their language, but are basically loony — i.e., our minds are wandering all over the place, with no basis in concentration — we still won”t pass inspection. This is why the Buddha wanted us to develop our minds as much as possible, making them pure and bright. When our wealth and inner merit are complete in this way, they”ll spread to our children and other people around us.
All people have inner worth within them, but whoever doesn”t know how to lay claim to it and develop it won”t get any benefit from it at all.
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Human treasures aren”t important. Thieves and fools can find them with no problem at all. But the treasure of a human rebirth is something that people without virtue can”t gain.
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The Buddha taught that with noble treasures (ariya-dhana), whoever has a lot isn”t poor, whoever has even a little isn”t poor. The important thing is that you give rise to them within yourself, and you”ll always be wealthy. For example, if you make up your mind to donate a material object to Buddhism, it immediately turns into the noble treasure of generosity in your heart. When you abstain from evil in your words and deeds, they turn into the noble treasure of virtue. When this is the case, your treasures are within you. You haven”t deposited them with anyone else. Your generosity lies within you, your virtue — the virtue of restraint of the senses — lies in your eyes, your ears, your mouth. When your treasures are with you like this, it”s like keeping your money in your own pocket, without depositing it with anyone else: There are bound to be no problems. You don”t have to worry that they”ll swindle or cheat you. When you”ve got your money right in your own pocket, what is there to fear
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The Buddha teaches us not to be possessive of things. Let them go in line with their nature and take only the nourishment they have to offer. Material things are dregs and leavings; their nourishment is the joy we feel when we”re willing to give them away. So don”t eat the dregs. Spit them out so that they can be of use, both to others and to yourself in the sense of inner worth that comes from being generous.
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We have to build up our inner worth, our perfections as quickly as possible, because our conviction in these things isn”t yet sure. Some days it shrinks out of sight: That”s called turtle-head conviction. Some days it stretches back out again. So if it stretches out today, act on it. Tomorrow it may shrink back in again.
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Two legs, two arms, two hands, two eyes, one mouth: These are your perfections. Put them to use.
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People who don”t believe in goodness rarely do good, but people who don”t believe in evil do evil all the time.
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Evil isn”t something natural that happens on its own. It happens only if we do it.
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The Buddha teaches us to develop inner worth by meditating on good wil…
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