ABHIDHAMMA IN DAILY LIFE - Abhidhamma.com

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carry on with her household duties. However, she being a living being with a sentiment often attempted suicide. Although she suffered much from disappointment, unpleasantness, unhappiness and fear, she bore the suffering until she got two children. But at last she could not bear the burden any more and wrote a letter to her husband away on business which runs thus— "My lord, though you had become my husband married by order of my parents, I really loved you and tried to win your love. However, it was all in vain. I was accused of cheating and concealing my faults; and I was so disappointed that I often tried to resort to suicide, but it was a failure because of my children. Anyhow, it is of no use to live any more. After writing this letter, I will take my own life after putting poison in my children's food." Having read this letter, the husband reflected over her goodwill and returned home quickly, only to find three dead bodies. He also shot himself in remorse. (in this story, hatred is prominent) When one happens to fall into such a situation, one should try to be broad-minded and treat Ingratitude - Makkha In conjunction with anger (dosa) there is ingratitude (makkha ) or being blind to the good turns of others; it is a kind of dosa. There are times when people think they are ungrateful to them in spite of many good deeds done for them. Some people are not only blind to the benevolence of their benefactors, but also do wrongs to them. They are the wicked who have done wrong to their friends. Gratitude is similar to a debt, a deferred payment. Although you cannot yet return benevolence to them, you should regard your benefactors as benefactors. When you get a chance to repay the gratitude you should do so with all your heart. Lesson: If you take shelter under a tree, do not break its boughs and branches. Those who break its boughs and branches are the wicked ones. Example: -The Grateful Son In a certain town, a lad worked hard as a common laborer and looked after his widowed mother. His mother was immoral and was having affairs secretly. His friends who knew about the mother felt pity for the lad and disclosed the affair to him. However, he said, "Let my mother be happy; whatever she does, I shall attend to her." (Good sons and daughters are as rare as good parents are.) Note: In this story, the immorality of his mother is her own burden. The work of attending on her is the duty of the son. In attending to such a single mother, the sons and daughters need not regard themselves as looking after her as a mother, instead, they should bear in mind that they are repaying their old debts of gratitude to a great benefactor. Therefore, every good man or woman who wishes to gain benefit in the present and next existences through out samsara, should try to repay his or her old debt of gratitude to great benefactors. Page 18 A Gift of Dhamma Maung Paw, California
Ill will. Ill will is a kind of hatred, which competes with superiors. A person cannot tolerate those who are superior to him in morality, concentration, knowledge, wealth, beauty or civility, so he competes with them saying "What's the difference between him and me" This he says in spite of knowing that they are better than he is. Sorrow - Soka The mental factor of suffering is sorrow. The state of being unhappy on coming across unpleasant incidents is sorrow. Wherever sorrow appears, hatred will also accompany it. Therefore, sorrow should be looked at in conjunction with hatred. Sorrow arises due to the deaths of their relatives, due to loss of wealth, due to mishaps of their friends— all such are sorrow. Mental Suffering There is also a kind of mental suffering which is mistaken to be sorrow. At times, one may anxious about health of dear ones; anxious about beloved ones not returning in due time after a journey; anxious about one's offspring in many ways. Such anxiety is not sorrow. Anxiety encoded in the thought, is not sorrow; it is merely mental suffering. Can You Benefit From Sorrow or Anxiety The above-mentioned sorrow or anxiety is uncomfortable states of mind; they endanger the mind, creating heartfelt sorrow and intense anxiety. They are painful forces and influences; one in no way gains anything from these. In reality, they burn the heart and harm the mind without yielding a single benefit. Therefore a wise person will avoid great anxiety or sorrow with steadfast mindfulness and prepare beforehand to meet adverse situations. Weeping or Lamentation Weeping or lamentation is the root of hatred and mental pain. Most people feel sorrow and grief when they see the coining of the fall in status, office, fame, power, wealth, etc. They also feel downhearted. When they cannot keep anxiety under control, the sound of weeping and lamentation. Can One Benefit From Weeping Like anxiety, weeping also is useless without any benefit at all. As it is natural to cry over the sudden loss of relatives and loved ones, one should not blame them. Even the Venerable Ananda wept when the Buddha passed into Nibbana. However, today quite a number of people are seen to weep aloud and show extreme distress to attract the pity of others. When one hears Page 19 A Gift of Dhamma Maung Paw, California
Page 1 and 2: ABHIDHAMMA IN DAILY LIFE The Princi
Page 3 and 4: About The Author: Ashin Janakabhiva
Page 5 and 6: The Venerable Bhaddanta Janakabhiva
Page 7 and 8: 6. All other perceptible objects -
Page 9 and 10: teaching. Our Buddha has expounded
Page 11 and 12: Lack of moral shame in pali is ahir
Page 13 and 14: 2.1.5. Greed - Lobha Greed is cravi
Page 15 and 16: meritorious actions would lead them
Page 17: Even if there are no such dangers,
Page 21 and 22: and Vessantara. However, he had a d
Page 23 and 24: undesirable are the many periodic p
Page 25 and 26: getting requisites, which they will
Page 27 and 28: ody. These two mental factors arise
Page 29 and 30: These fourteen good mental factors
Page 31 and 32: "O Bhikkhus, I declare mindful ness
Page 33 and 34: pleasant and beautiful Moreover, th
Page 35 and 36: • Unpleasant • Neutral Sense ob
Page 37 and 38: mob. In this atrocious deed, the bl
Page 39 and 40: 4.9. Sustained Application Of The M
Page 41 and 42: with a tube, once you remove the tu
Page 43 and 44: Character distinguished one person
Page 45 and 46: of awareness the food he offers and
Page 47 and 48: Once upon a time, the Sangha assign
Page 49 and 50: your post volition cetana is spoile
Page 51 and 52: charity. Note: Good deeds done with
Page 53 and 54: is time to spare. Charity is for th
Page 55 and 56: 6.6.2 a Comparison Morality is more
Page 57 and 58: a. Buddha's meritorious deed and pe
Page 59 and 60: 6.10 Paying Respect - Apacayana Pay
Page 61 and 62: if the sharing of merit is after do
Page 63 and 64: Comments - As the foolish man trade
Page 65 and 66: forthcoming existences you develop
Page 67 and 68: thoughts. 7.2.2 Prominent Wholesome
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the fines were made to serve as swe
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If you put in one viss of salt into
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not a spouse. Such are the drawback
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mindfulness the second and third is
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Both kusala kamma and akusala kamma
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thoughts and these wholesome and un
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luck; • Do not jump into fire ent
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Some person on their deathbeds happ
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the deeds done in the past, the one
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monsoon, becomes pregnant. In the t
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6. Sanctified non-returner - Anagam
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The touch sense is just earth, fire
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flowing freely leading to stiffness
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odies. Tastes such as sweet, sour,
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health. The correct choice of food
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Example - Yama: Sinner, while you a
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more evil deeds. In the past when a
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"Sangha Bhasa Tika"). 11.5 How Huma
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(b) Devis do not take pregnancy. (c
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vanished from there to appear in th
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now favorable, yet some monastic sc
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the matter is the seat of suffering
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ceases. "Sukham ditthamari yebhi, s
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