මහාමේඝ 2564 පොසොන් (2020 ජුනි) මස කලාපය

20
20
WWW.MAHAMEGHA.LK
The Protectors
of the World
“Bhikkhus, these two bright qualities protect the
world. What two? Moral shame and moral dread.”
AN 2.9 – Cariya Sutta
We should have faith in the Buddha’s Enlightenment
in order to accept his teachings on the wholesome and
unwholesome. If we accept his teachings and gain
an understanding of the benefits of cultivating the
wholesome, and the dangers involved in engaging in
unwholesome actions, bit by bit two qualities develop
in us: moral shame (hiri) and moral dread (ottappa).
What Is Moral Shame and Moral Dread?
The Buddha defines moral shame and moral dread,
two of the five powers of a trainee (sekha bala), thus:
“And what is the power of moral shame? Here,
a noble disciple has a sense of moral shame; he is
ashamed of bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct; he
is ashamed of acquiring evil, unwholesome qualities.
This is called the power of moral shame.
“And what is the power of moral dread? Here, a
noble disciple dreads wrongdoing; he dreads bodily,
verbal, and mental misconduct; he dreads acquiring
evil, unwholesome qualities. This is called the power
of moral dread.”
AN 5.2 – Vitthata Sutta
Directed Inward and Outward
Now, though these two qualities are similar, as we
can see from the Buddha’s definitions, they are in
fact different. The difference lies in their emphasis.
Moral shame as a good quality is directed internally,
whereas moral dread is directed outwardly. We may
understand moral shame as a sense of conscience, or
self-esteem, which, upon reflecting on unwholesome
actions, considers them unworthy for oneself—“If I
were to act in such a way, I would be ashamed of my
conduct.” Moral dread, on the other hand, is directed
outwardly toward society. When one “dreads bodily,
verbal, and mental misconduct,” one is afraid of
their dangerous consequences. For example, for a
disciple with moral dread established, he/she fears
breaking any of the five precepts since, if others
found out about one’s misconduct—one’s parents,
teachers, friends, peers, spiritual teachers—one
would lose face, and perhaps receive punishment for
one’s misbehavior. Further, we can also understand
moral dread to encompass a reflective understanding
of the kammic dangers involved in engaging in
unwholesome deeds, for their results (vipāka) bring
rebirth in the lower realms and extended periods of
suffering.
Guilt and Remorse Are Unwholesome
Moreover, it is prudent to emphasize that moral
shame and moral dread are not feelings of guilt
or remorse. Guilt and remorse are unwholesome;
remorse is one of the five hindrances that block
progress in meditation. If for some reason one
engages in misconduct—say, out of heedlessness,
strong emotions, or a lapse of mindfulness—one
should not cultivate feelings of guilt or remorse, but
rather endeavor to refrain from such actions in the
future. Since the action has already been done, it is
in the past now, finished. We need not revive the past
by brooding over our previous misdeeds; rather, we
should make an effort to purify our actions in the
present. To do so, we must cultivate a sense of moral
shame and moral dread.
In this way, moral shame and moral dread help us to
develop virtue (sīla). To purify our bodily, verbal, and
mental actions, we should first establish ourselves in
these two internal qualities. If we do not first establish
ourselves in these qualities, it will be difficult to
properly develop virtue. Why? Because we lack the
supporting internal conditions.
Domino Effect
We cannot develop virtue simply out of an act of
will; we cannot make the determination: “May I
become virtuous!” and develop virtuous behavior
through that alone. Rather, we must create the
necessary causes in our lives in order to become
virtuous. The Buddha, with his all-encompassing
wisdom, understood in their entirety the factors
involved in developing the mind; and he further
understood how these factors influence each other
in succession to bring about a domino effect, a
concatenation of wholesome qualities with one factor
serving as the supporting condition for the arising
of the second, the second serving as a supporting
condition for the third, etc. In the Aṅguttara Nikāya,
we come across a discourse wherein the Buddha
explains how the qualities of moral shame and moral
dread shape a disciple’s development of the path not
just in terms of virtue, but all the way up to liberation,
the realization of Nibbāna.
“Monks, (1) when there is no sense of moral shame
and moral dread, for one deficient in a sense of moral
shame and moral dread, (2) restraint of the sense
faculties lacks its proximate cause. When there is no
restraint of the sense faculties, for one deficient in
restraint of the sense faculties, (3) virtuous behavior
lacks its proximate cause. When there is no virtuous
behavior, for one deficient in virtuous behavior, (4)
right concentration lacks its proximate cause. When
there is no right concentration, for one deficient in
right concentration, (5) the knowledge and vision of
things as they really are lacks its proximate cause.
When there is no knowledge and vision of things as
they really are, for one deficient in the knowledge and
vision of things as they really are, (6) disenchantment
and dispassion lack their proximate cause. When
there is no disenchantment and dispassion, for one
deficient in disenchantment and dispassion, (7)
the knowledge and vision of liberation lacks its
proximate cause.”
Simile of the Tree
The Buddha then proceeds to illustrate this
conditioning process with a simile drawn from his
surroundings, the forests of ancient India wherein he
most often dwelled:
“Suppose there is a tree deficient in branches and
foliage. Then its shoots do not grow to fullness;
also its bark, softwood, and heartwood do not grow
to fullness. So too, when there is no sense of moral
shame and moral dread, for one deficient in a sense of
To page 21..