THE PERFECTIONS

• The perfection are most important as conditions for the complete eradication of defilements.

• One should develop every kind of wholesome deeds which can eradicate all defilements, stage by stage.

• someone may be aware of the characteristics of realities as they naturally appear in daily life

• but if does not take into consideration the development of the perfections, he will notice that time and again he is overcome by unwholesome actions.

• There are more conditions for the arising of unwholesome actions than for arising of wholesome actions.

• One does not know for how long in the future each one of will have to develop and accumulate the ten perfections.

• The ten perfections have lobha, attachment as their opposite and, therefore, one should develop them not because we expect a result of wholesome action, but the danger of each kind of unwholesome action.

The 10 Perfections• Generosity • Morality• Renunciation• Wisdom• Energy• Patience• Truthfulness• Determination• Loving-kindness• Equanimity

Generosity :If a person see the disadvantage of avarice (extreme greed), he develops generosity.

• Characteristic : Relinquishing• Function: to dispel greed for things that can be

given away.• Manifestation : non-attachment, the

achievement of prosperity and a favourable state of existence.

• Proximate cause: an object that can be relinquished.

• Generosity is the giving away of things for the benefit and happiness of others.

• If one is unable to give away something one possesses, be it small or great, for the benefit of others, it will be hard to give up the clinging and attachment.

• If someone gives away things without expecting a reward, then this generosity can be perfection.

Three kinds of Generosity

• Giving of Material things.

• Giving of Fearlessness.

• Giving of the Dhamma.

• “He gives only when there is something to be given”.

• “ When there are things to be given he gives what people like to have, not what they do not want”.

• “ He does not give because he expects something in return. And when there is not enough to give sufficiently to all, he distributes evenly whatever can be shared.

• “He gives invariably with confidence, with compassion and respect”.

• Whenever greed for a particular object becomes excessive, due to its high value and beauty, its antiquity, or attachment accumulated since a long time, the person recognizes his greed, quickly dispels it seeks out some recipients and gives it away.

Wholesome intention

• Before giving.

• At the moment of giving.

• After giving .

Morality: If someone sees the disadvantage of the transgression of morality

• Characteristic : composing, coordinating and establishing.

• Function: to dispel moral depravity, blameless conduct.

• Manifestation: moral purity.• Proximate cause : shame and moral dread.

• The transgression of morality such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, is motivated by unwholesome deeds , by attachment, aversion, and ignorance.

• When someone commits evil deeds he lacks loving-kindness towards others.

• All unwholesome deeds are conditioned by clinging to visible object, sound, smell, flavour, tangible object and the wrong view .

• A person should not have attachment even if it would not cause any harm.

• Someone has no firm determination in the development of the perfections may believe that attachment makes life comfortable and pleasant, and that, so long as attachment does not cause any harm, there is no danger in it.

• However one should be free from all attachment.

It is most important with whom we associate.

• Association with fools will like tasting water that has a bitter, unpleasant flavour.

• Fools advise to do what is improper, they are likely to engaged with improper activities.

• It is difficult to advise them to perform good deeds.• When someone speaks to them in a wholesome way,

hoping that they will become righteous, they retort with anger.

• Fools do not know the rules of conduct and thus it is beneficial not to see fools.

• Association with wise persons to the tasting of sweet water.

• The wise advise to do what is proper, they are not engaged with improper activities.

• It is easy to encourage the wise.• They do not retort well-spoken words with anger.• They know well right conduct.• It is good to associate with the wise.

Four modes:

• By the purification of one’s inclination.

• By the undertaking of precepts.

• By non-transgression.

• By making amends for transgression

• By desisting from false speech.

• By desisting form slander.

• By desisting from harsh speech.

• By desisting from idle chatter.

Morality is twofold

• As avoidance: is abstaining from evil .

• As performance: the right conduct one should follow.• Performance is subtle and refined ,• Eg: when a dear friend does something wrong, one

may be off guard and blame him immediately in front of others . But when one is mindful one will wait for the proper opportunity and speak to him later on .

Renunciation:If someone sees the disadvantage of the sensual pleasure

• Characteristic: departing from sense pleasures and existence.

• Function: to verify the unsatisfactoriness they involve .

• Manifestation: the withdrawal from sense pleasures.

• Proximate cause: a sense of spiritual urgency.

• The perfection of renunciation is the giving up of pleasure, clinging, and the ways of wrong thinking that are : sensuous thinking, thinking of hate, and thinking of cruelty.

• The opposite of sensuous thinking is thinking of renunciation.

• Did we ever consider to abandon sense pleasures? • Are we becoming disenchanted with sense objects?• We have attachment to visible object, sound and the other sense

objects; we do not have to give them up, but we want more of them?• If we have not enough of them we give in to sensuous thinking,

whereas if we find that we have quite sufficient of them, we have thoughts of renunciation.

• Renunciation means having the energy and courage to eliminate the clinging .

• Generally, when we see something beautiful, we are likely to have enjoyment and clinging, lobha.

• If there is heedfulness, it can be known that as such a moment this is only a reality, that appears.

• Attachment can decrease by not trying to obtain the attractive object so that we do not accumulate more attachment.

• Thus, when there is a pleasant object, we can see it, but when it is not there and we cannot see it, we should not search for it.

• Renunciation with seeing , seeing clearly, comparing, considering, developing, so that one clearly understands the right practice.

• Renunciation with the guarding the sense doors, moderating in eating, the application of energy so that one is alert and awake.

• Renunciation with mindfulness.• Renunciation with happiness, resistance, a refuge, a

protection, no danger, unshakableness, the deathlessness, departing from clinging, which is like a thread that fastens.

Wisdom:If someone realizes the danger of ignorance and doubt , he will be inclined to the development of the perfection of wisdom.

• Characteristic : penetrating the real specific nature, or the characteristic of sure penetration, like the penetration of an arrow shot by a skilful archer.

• Function: to illuminate the objective field, like a lamp.

• Manifestation: non-confusion, like a guide in a forest,

• Proximate cause: comcentration.

• The understanding of pleasant “ worldly conditions” of gain, honour, praise and wellbeing only lead to suffering.

• Wisdom is right understanding of the mental phenomena and physical phenomena of life.

• No matter how many other excellent qualities someone may have, his defilements cannot be eradicated is wisdom does not develop.

• I.e does not see the true nature of the realities.

• It means it penetrates , what does it penetrate? • It penetrates the noble truths• It overcomes ignorance.• It illuminates as a lamp burns at night in a four-

walled house the darkness ceases, light manifests itself.

• “The truth of the path has the characteristic of outlet, its function is to abandon defilements, it manifests itself as emergence”

Energy: If someone sees the disadvantage of the laziness, he will be inclined to energy

• Characteristic : striving• Function: to fortify• Manifestation: indefatigably• Proximate cause: an occasion for the arousing

of energy, or a sense of spiritual urgency.

• Wholesome or unwholesome deeds energy arises with them.

• Thus whenever attachment and delight with regard to an object arises, the energy accompanies and perform its function of effort or energy for attachment and delight in that object.

• When unwholesome deeds arises efforts are unwholesome , whereas wholesome deeds arise efforts are wholesome.

• Thus perfection of energy is effort .

• Right effort is effort or energy which understands that what appears through the eyes is only which does not last , or the reality which is seeing is only an element, experiencing what appears through the eyes.

• The perfection of energy is always performing its tasks even if the process of development of understanding is extremely slow and difficult.

• Life is extremely short as it lasts just for one moment and this moment may be wholesome or unwholesome depending on the conditions.

• Thus we should not give in to laziness with regard to our task of performing.

• If we are all the time inert and lazy, it is evident that the perfection of energy is lacking.

To be continued .....

Patience

• Characteristic : Acceptance

• Function : To endure the desirable or

undesirable.

• Manifestation: Tolerance or non-opposition.

• Proximate cause: Seeing things as they really are.

• Patience is to develop not merely towards an undesirable object, but also towards a desirable object.

• If one have patience towards a desirable object, then there is no attachment and delight.

• Someone may be able to endure everything in order to obtain what he desires, no matter whether he has to stay awake until late or night or all night.

• However, can one endure this in order to develop wholesome deeds and this the perfection of patience.

e.g:

• The perfection of patience towards heat or cold.• This means that on account of hot or cold weather one

has no disturbance or annoyance.• Is there like or dislike of the weather?• If we like it there is attachment if we dislike it there is

aversion.• In both cases the perfection of patience does not arise.• The perfection of patience is endurance with true

calm.

• Patience in our daily life is “adhivásaná khanti”.• The Páli word adhivasati means to inhabit (váso is

habitation) , and • Adhivásaná khanti is acceptance and endurance

with regard to our living conditions, our environment, the place where we live.

• If we are mindful we can find out whether our patience in action and speech with regard to our environment is deficient or whether it had grown and developed.

• Manners and Behaviour: when a person does not complain and does not criticize, when he has sympathetic understanding and assists others.

• Speech: if it is beneficial or not , if it is useless speech one should have patience and refrain from that speech.

• If our action and speech are evil , we are not beautiful .

• If patience is lacking, one’s action and speech are ugly.

5 Aspects of speech

• timely or untimely,

• true or false,

• affectionate or harsh,

• beneficial or unbeneficial,

• with a mind of good-will or with inner hate

Truthfulness

• Characteristic : Non-deceptiveness in speech.

• Function : To verify in accordance with fact.

• Manifestation: Excellence

• Proximate cause: Honesty

• The perfection of truthfulness is sincerity and truthfulness with regard to realities.

• It means truthfulness through body, speech and mind.• If one see the disadvantage of untruth and falsity ,

he/she will develop the perfection of truthfulness.• The deceitful speech is compared to bean-soup,

because when one cooks beansoup, some beans are cooked while others are not cooked.

• When eating, one comes sometimes across hard beans which are not cooked .

• It is the same with speech: when a person speaks a great deal, some deceptive words may permeate his speech.

• Or it may also happen that everything he says is true, from the first word until the last.

• We can only know with regard to ourselves when we are insincere and when truthful.

• Thus one should be mindful in action, speech and mind.

• We should be Truthful and honest to ourselves which leads to right understanding of realities.

• If we develop right understanding of the realities , defilements can be eradicated and ignorance can be abandoned.

• All evil states converge upon the transgression of truth.

• One who is not devoted to truth is unreliable and his word cannot be accepted in the future.

• On the other hand, one devoted to truth secures the foundation of all noble qualities.

• With truthfulness as the foundation, he is capable of purifying the mind.

• If there is no truthfulness, no sincerity in one’s actions, they cannot reach accomplishment.

• It is necessary for all kinds of wholesome deeds.• Deceptive speech even with regard to a small

matter becomes habit, and it will be easy to speak lie and he will believe that it is not wrong to do so.

• If someone abstains from deceptive speech, and acts in accordance with his promise, truthfulness will become natural to him.

• Then he will be able to see the danger at the moment he tells a lie.

• If someone accumulates deceptive speech all the time, he does not see its danger.

Determination

• Characteristic : Determining upon the requisites of

enlightenment .

• Function : To overcome opposites

• Manifestation: Unshakeableness in that task .

• Proximate cause: The requisites of enlightenment .

The four determinations:

• discernment,

• the truth, • to relinquishment, • Being calm.

Discernment

• discernment that comes from listening . • discernment that comes from thinking .

• discernment that comes from developing/meditation

• A fool with a sense of his foolishness is—at least to that extent—wise.

• But a fool who thinks himself wise really deserves to be called a fool.

• ‘What is skillful? What is unskillful? • What is blameworthy? What is blameless? • What should be cultivated? What should not

be cultivated? • What, having been done by me, will be for my

long-term harm & suffering? Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?’”

• The discernment, the faculty of discernment, the

strength of discernment, analysis of qualities as a

factor of Awakening, the path factor of right view

in one developing the noble path whose mind is

noble, whose mind is free from fermentations,

who is fully possessed of the noble path.

Loving-kindness

• Characteristic : Promoting welfare.

• Function: To provide for their welfare,

or remove resentment.

• Manifestation: Kindliness.

• Proximate cause : Seeing agreeable side of beings .

Eleven benefits of Loving-Kindness.

1. “One sleeps easily, 2. wakes easily, 3. dreams no evil dreams4. One is dear to human beings, 5. dear to non-human beings. 6. The nature protect one. 7. Neither fire, poison, nor weapons can touch one.8. One’s mind gains concentration quickly.9. One’s complexion is bright. 10. One dies unconfused and11. Is headed for the Brahma worlds.

• W are should support others with loving-kindness, also when they are strangers.

• When we assist others, we should be able to find out to what extent we have developed loving-kindness.

• Is it necessary to help ? What will he think ? Will he blame me?

• Whether he rejoices in our deed or whether he blame us, it doesnot matter because in reality he cannot harm us. What he thinks about us concerns only himself , not us.

• Loving kindness is like the conduct of a mother towards her child.

• If we look at the outward appearances of deeds we may wonder whether a mother has true loving-kindness or whether she has just selfish affection for her child.

• A mother should know her own affection that is loving-kindness.

• Loving kindness is not restricted to particular people.

• All people are equal , no matter whether they are close to us or not, no matter whether we know them or not.

• Eg: Indonesian woman who had lost her husband because of a young man’s reckless driving .

Equanimity

• Characteristic : promoting the aspect of neutrality.

• Function: to see things impartially .• Manifestation: the subsiding of attraction and

repulsion.• Proximate cause: all beings inherit the results

of their action.

• The perfection of equanimity is evenmindedness, it is non-disturbance by controversial conduct of people or by trying events.

• When we encounter external objects which cause sadness and distress.

• Our unhappy mood is conditioned by unpleasant objects which appear through eyes, ear, nose, tongue and bodysense.

• People who are free from sorrow are unaffected by attachment and aversion with regard to people and events , this means that they developed the perfection of equanimity

• Eg: people see someone who kills a snake.

• When we realize that everyone receives the results of his deeds.

• When equanimity arises, we are not disturbed and we do not utter unsuitable speech to someone who commits wrong deeds.

References

• The Perfections Leading to Englihtenment by Sujin Boriharnanaket Translated by Nina van Gorkom, 2007 Frist Edition

• Ten Perfections, A Study Guide :Prepared by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

•Thank you