Today, our society is restless and nowhere do we find real peace. There are many people who spend restless nights and they show signs of impatience and agitation in their daily life. The restless waves can be found in their mind and those mind-waves generate restless behavior - seeking some sort of satisfaction from for example, entertainment, shopping snacking, gossiping, driving around or taking alcohol or drugs. They do not find enough time to pay attention to their spirituality. In this restless society we clearly find that many are running after money and material happiness. There are many who are greedy-natured and angry-natured. Why? No mental peace or inner tranquility. Millions of human beings talk of world peace but they never focus their attention on their own tranquility.
Every society is full of socio-economic and political problems. If we scrutinize all these problems very honestly then we can come to a conclusion that they arise because of wrong thinking and unethical behavior of human beings. Millions of educated people discuss these problems and try to avoid and solve them. Before we try to solve the problems of our outer World, it is our utmost responsibility to fully understand our own mind, its nature, its cankers, taints, intoxicants, corruptions and restless waves. Because it is these intoxicated and corrupted mind-waves that generate a restless man and restless society.
Many are ready to criticize, antagonize, fight and defeat others but are not ready to admit their own faults and thereby sympathize with and tolerate others. Attachment to the ego-belief is one of the impurities of the restless mind and the guiding force behind many wars. One of the many causes for the war-like situation is dogmatic views of certain groups. They think that their religion, their way, is the truth and everything else is false. This inhuman thinking creates tension in society and it paves the way for complete destruction of other humans and their priceless monuments. Values of harmlessness or non-violence (avihimsa or ahimsa) are not emphasized in this restless society.
The first disciplinary rule enjoined by the Buddha for our human society is abstaining from taking life of sentient beings. Which includes animals and insects. Why is that? It is the basic precept for survival and security of all humans and all other beings. It encourages respect for all life, tolerance, kindness and compassion. It also maintains a healthy environment, allowing nature to keep the balance eco-system. Preventive rather than destructive methods can be used to avoid bodily harm or property damage from other beings. We can evaluate for ourselves whether this rule is good or bad for society.
When the majority of members in any society are ill-mannered (muttacārins), then that society is not in a position to expect progress. Even material development in no way can be continued without morality. Therefore, the major problem is the failure to uphold ethics (ācāravipatti).
Deforestation, water-pollution, land pollution, sound pollution, over-urbanization, war-targeted games, poverty, poverty-related crimes and all other socio-economic and political problems arise due to the failure to uphold ethics. In other words, they arise because of uncultivated minds. Therefore, cultivation of the mind is very necessary and it must be given the highest priority. To cultivate the mind and thus for ethical progress in our society, Buddhism recommends meditation. It is through meditation that we can visualize the real nature of our inner mind, its impurities and the outer world. Then only are we capable of having a proper understanding of who we are, why we were bom, what is the meaning of our short life and what we should do.
Zen Buddhism
There is a special tradition of Buddhism which emphasizes meditation more than any other religious sect, that is Zen (Chan or Dhyāna). Zen Buddhism advocates cultivation of our mind and to “live like a flower” - having a joyful appearance, spreading joy and serenity, having the fragrance of morality, offering the pollen of service to society, with the understanding of the self as impermanent. It shows us the way to safeguard our mind from outer impurities (kilesas).
Zen is a philosophy and not a system founded upon logic and analysis. Zen is a focus on the whole mind. Zen has nothing to teach us. It has no set doctrines. There are no sacred books in Zen. Zen merely points the way. It has no God to worship. Zen has no concept of soul. Zen tradition believes in man’s inner purity and goodness. Mind is the fundamental object of Zen.
Zen emphasizes the attainment of freedom, that is, freedom from all unnatural encumbrances. When this Zen is understood, absolute peace of mind is attained. Zen is explained in very interesting words:
Zen is the ocean, Zen is the air,
Zen is the mountain,
Zen is thunder and lightening,
Zen is the spring flower,
Zen is the summer heat,
Zen is the winter snow,
Zen is the man .........
This means that Zen is reality, Zen is nature and Zen can be understood by perceiving nature.
Bhikkhu Bodhidharma, a Zen teacher, says:
Zen has nothing to do with letters, words or sūtras. It is like unlocking the door to a treasury. When the entrance is once gained, every object coming into view is yours.
Once, a disciple came to Bhikkhu Bodhidharma and asked a question and Bhikkhu Bodhidharma gave a clear answer thus:
Disciple: I came here to seek the truth of Buddhism.
Bodhidharma: Why do you seek such a thing here? Why do you wonder about, neglecting your own precious treasure at home? I have nothing to give you and what truth of Buddhism do you desire to find in my monastery? There is nothing, absolutely nothing.
Here, Bodhidhaima emphasizes the significance of mind by referring to words, “precious treasure at home.” A dialogue between Zen teacher and a pupil on mindfulness runs as follows:
Teacher: Do you ever make any effort to get disciplined in the truth?
Pupil: Yes, I do.
Teacher: How do you exercise yourself?
Pupil: When I am hungry I eat; when tired I sleep.
Teacher: That is what everybody does. Can they be said to be exercising in the same way as you do?
Pupil: No.
Teacher: Why not?
Pupil: Because when they eat they do not eat but are thinking of various things thereby allowing themselves to be disturbed; when they sleep they do not sleep but dream a thousand and one things. That is why they are not like myself.
In accordance with the sayings of Zen, the human heart has two aspects, viz.:
- The pure heart
- The impure heart
Heart is one but there are two ways that is works. Pure heart is somewhat similar to Buddha-heart. But the impure heart gives us no peace from morning until night; that is the passion-ridden heart. It disturbs us every day. It leads men astray. It tries to destroy our spirituality. It advises us to do unethical things. It is the easiest way to woeful states. And the impure-hearted ones have to suffer before their death.
The pure heart gives us peace from morning until night. It is the compassionate heart. It helps us to “live like a flower.” It tries to destroy evil tendencies and cankers. It helps us to cultivate good qualities. It advises us to do ethical things. It is the proper way to everlasting happiness. The pure-hearted ones do not gloom over anything and they can even be happy just before death.
Mind is so difficult to guard and control. It is always agitated. It is also very wonderful. It tries to seize whatever it desires. Therefore, it is so difficult to subdue. It is extremely subtle. It has no form. It wanders far and alone. But when there is no mind then our body would be a useless log. If we can tame the mind then it will bring happiness. A guarded mind gives no troubles. An ill-directed mind will cause injuries to our consciousness and a well-directed mind will give us everlasting happiness.
Average human beings do both good things and bad things. Whatever we do whether it is good or bad, it spontaneously is recorded in our consciousness. The nature of our actions will be deposited in a certain way in that place. The name of the place is “viññānagabbha” or “store-consciousness”. One can destroy the life of a man but he cannot destroy his store-consciousness.
Therefore, no one can escape from his own deeds. No one can purify others. We are not in a position to pray to undo our misdeeds and unwholesome actions. “Dhammatā” (or śakti, universal energies) will give the deserved results, pleasant or unpleasant. It is the nature of the world. Many in the world cannot understand this truth.
The specific name for this śakti or dhammatā is kamma (karma in Sanskrit). No one can avoid this universal kamma or śakti or universal energies. We are the passive subjects of this universal phenomenon. What we can do is to understand this truth with the help of the teachings of the Buddha and try to control our mind and do meritorious and wholesome actions. Restrained mind is the only way to experience happiness and the only consolation to suffering around the world.