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Our daily
activities can be categorized into three types: the actions of the body,
speech, and thoughts. Under each category, there are three kinds of deeds
– good, bad, and neutral. Pure activities are none other than but beyond
good deeds.
Lots of our
deeds are neutral. These deeds do not have any harm or benefit to oneself
and others. That is why they are classified as neutral.
A bad deed
harms others and sometimes it also harms oneself at the same time.
Actually, any deed that harms others will eventually harm oneself in the
long run. That is the natural result of the universal truth - the cause
and effect of interdependency and coexistence. Like a chain reaction or a
reflection, the negative result of bad deeds will be back to its doer in
the end.
Any good
deed is beneficial to oneself and others. On the other hand, it must be
helpful to others even it does not benefit oneself or sometimes even
sacrifice oneself. Because of the nature of interdependency and
coexistence, the positive result of good deeds will also come back to its
doer in the end.
There are
ten types of good deeds resulting from the actions of our body, speech,
and mind. Three of the ten good deeds are associated with the actions of
our body:
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No killing but actively
releasing and saving lives.
]
No stealing but
enthusiastically giving and helping others.
]
No sexual
misconduct but having appropriate relationship and respecting each other.
Four types
of good deeds are related to our speech:
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No harsh words instead
always speaking pleasantly.
]
No words creating
discord but consistently speaking for the harmony of all.
]
No lying and always
speaking truthfully.
]
No flattering speech
but speaking properly at all times.
And, three
types of the good deeds are related to our thoughts :
]
No greed instead to
have generous thoughts persistently.
]
No anger but to have
loving and kindness always in our mind.
]
No ignorance and to
have wisdom all the time.
Through good deeds, we can benefit each other and accumulate merit. And
it is also the proper way to depart from all the negative causes and
effects (sins). A good deed is impure if we attach a reward to it or feel
we will gain merit for it. If we think that we are good people who are
capable of doing good things to benefit those in need with visible
approaches or undetectable ways, then, this kind of idea creates a sense
of superiority and inferiority; it also creates separation and division.
If we think that we did something good and it will make us lucky or be
repaid, then, what if we do not get what we expect? The side effects of
division and expectation make the whole thing very limited and impure even
if it is a good deed.
However, good deeds are the bridge to attain pure actions and a pure life
because it is the only way to depart from all of the negative causes and
effects (sins). And, it is the first step towards a perfect life. To
renounce the attachment to a good deed and its reward by transforming the
concept of the giver, receiver, and the object given into the truth of
emptiness. Or directly seeing emptiness going beyond any attachments, that
is the only way to make a good deed to become a pure action.
Yet, it is
very hard for ordinary people to be detached. We usually ignore or do not
realize the truth of impermanence and the empty nature of all phenomena,
which are interdependent and coexisting. We think every phenomenon is
real. This incorrect view is the source of unhappiness and suffering.
Around two
thousand five hundred years ago, Sakyamuni Buddha, the awakened one,
realized the ultimate truth and achieved complete equanimity and
enlightenment at 35 years old of age under a bodhi tree in India. Seeing
that what he had achieved was hard to describe and communicate, he
remained in meditation for 49 days. Then, Buddha gave his first teaching
of the Four Noble Truths in Deer Park, which is known as “the first
turning of the wheel of dharma.” In this teaching, Buddha taught the
following:
1. The truth of
suffering
2. The truth of the
cause of suffering
3. The truth of the
cessation of suffering
4. The truth of the
Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering
The Noble
Eightfold Path, subdivided into morality (precepts), meditation (samadhi),
and wisdom, is the right path to reach self-liberation. Discipline,
meditation, and wisdom are the main practices to be free from attachments
and sufferings. Mahayana Buddhism elaborates on them further into the
Bodhisattva Path of practicing the Six Perfections and completing numerous
activities to benefit not only oneself, but, all sentient beings so that
they can attain full enlightenment and eventually become Buddhas.
Either
through renunciation and transformation of bad deeds, or merging oneself
with emptiness without any attachments in every moment will allow a good
deed to go beyond any limitation in the world and become a pure action in
our lives.
1.
Making effort to release and save lives yet there is no saver,
nothing to be saved, and nothing in between.
2.
Enthusiastically giving and helping others yet there is no concept
of giver, receiver, nor gift.
3.
Having appropriate sexual relationships and respecting each other
yet there is no concept of self and others.
4.
Always speaking pleasantly yet there is no concept of speaker,
listener, nor the content of speech.
5.
Constantly speaking for the harmony of all yet there is no concept
of speaker, listener, nor the content of speech.
6.
Speaking truthfully consistently yet there is no concept of
speaker, listener, nor the content of speech.
7.
Speaking properly at all times yet there is no concept of speaker,
listener, nor the content of speech.
8.
Having generous thoughts constantly yet there is no concept of
oneself who is generous.
9.
Always having compassionate and kind thoughts yet there is no
concept of oneself who is kind.
10.
Having wisdom all the time yet there is no concept of oneself who
has wisdom.
In short,
first practice good deeds to depart from all sins (bad deeds), then,
practice no attachment to go beyond the definition of good actions in the
world. That is not only the way of self-liberation, but also the key
method to complete the Bodhisattva Path for the benefit of all sentient
beings, to turn our turbid world into a pure land and achieve Buddhahood
all together.
Life is composed of a
series of activities. And a pure life is composed of a series of pure
activities, and thus, in the end is a perfect life.
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