Choices

We have all come from the same place, a womb, and we are all headed to the same destination, a tomb. Yet, how come we are so different? Perhaps it is the natural variation in our genetic make-up. Why do we have such varied personalities? Why are our choices so distinct from others? From the cars we drive, to our profession of choice, there is immense diversity. A solid argument can be made that it is mostly rooted in our associations. Studies reveal that one can unravel a considerable amount about you by observing and examining the five people you spend most of your time with. However, I bet you are thankful that some of your choices were different to someone else's or even everybody else's in some cases. A prime example of this is your choice of life partner. Those of you who have one will be able to relate. Are you not glad that no one else (at least consequentially) felt about them the same way you did?! We have made all of these choices based on our personal preferences, likes and dislikes. But why? What is the origin of these choices? These preferences were formed by combining and mixing matching data that were knowingly or unknowingly embedded into the intricate knowledge-processing powerhouse we possess called the mind. Sources of this data vary. The first source is our parents or guardians. Then, the list grows endlessly. It goes all the way from siblings and friends to various media platforms. Social media is one of the prominent sources of influence and persuasion for most people in the contemporary age. For example, if you were to enquire ten of your friends about their most influential source of information when they chose to go to the cinema to watch a particular movie, most would say the trailer and reactions they saw on social media. How does one know if they have made the right or wrong choice? Is there even such a thing as the right or wrong choice? Well, it is hard to distinguish as it all depends on perspective. One popular method of judging the righteousness of your choice is to see if it meets the following conditions. If you decide to put the righteous needs of the other person, family, community or even humankind before your needs, this is a good indication that you have made the right choice. 

A Reference from the Dhammapada

Manopubbangama dhamma
manosettha manomaya
manasa ce padutthena
bhasati va karoti va
tato nam dukkhamanveti
cakkanva vahato padan.

Our readers can gather the immense significance of this phenomenon when they see the very first stanza, and the chapter in the Book of Dhammapada is dedicated to this topic. For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the Dhammapada, allow me to give a brief overview. It is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best-known Buddhist scriptures. It has been translated into many languages, and the original version of the Dhammapada is in the Khuddaka Nikaya, a division of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. It is a handy little self-help booklet to always keep in your possession. An article on its own deserves to be published on the Dhammapada, and we will strive to bring this across in the future. In simple terms, the meaning is that all mental phenomena have the mind as their forerunner; they have the mind as their chief; they are mind-made. If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, 'dukkha' follows him just as the wheel follows the hoof of the ox that draws the cart. The twin verse of this explores the flip side. 

Manopubbangama dhamma
manosettha manomaya
manasa ce pasannena
bhasati va karoti va
tato nan sukha manveti
chayava anapayini.

The meaning here is that happiness (sukha) follows him like a shadow that never departs if one speaks or acts with a pure mind.

Let’s delve a little deeper into the more profound meaning of these twin verses. Let’s cover the meaning of the common lines. ‘Manopubbangama dhamma’: all mental phenomena have the mind as their forerunner in the sense that the mind is the most dominant, and it is the stage for the mental phenomena, namely, Rupa (form), Feeling (vedanā), Recognition (saññā) and Mental Formations (sankhāra). These four, collectively called Dhamma as the mind takes them as its object, have the mind as their forerunner because although they arise simultaneously with the mind, they cannot occur if the mind does not arise. The difference happens later in the third line and beyond. In the first verse, ‘manasa ce padutthena’, and in the second verse, ‘manasa ce pasannena’. ‘Manasa’ here means intention or volition (cētanā); volition leads one to perform volitional actions, both good and evil. This volition and the resultant actions constitute karma, and karma always follows on to produce results (vipāka) in the presence of conducive conditions. As the pleasant or unpleasant nature of such results is determined by the nature of their corresponding karmas, the Buddha emphasises the importance of mental temperament in determining one’s destiny.

Story of Ven Chakkhupala

Our readers might find the origin story of the first verse insightful. While residing at the Jetavanarama monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered this concerning Chakkhupala, a blind bhikku. On one occasion, Chakkhupala thero came to pay homage to the Buddha at the Jetavanarama monastery. One night, while pacing up and down in meditation, he accidentally stepped on some insects. In the morning, some bhikkhus visiting the venerable Chakkupala found the dead insects. They thought ill of him and reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha asked them whether they had seen the thero killing the insects. When they answered no, the Buddha said, "Just as you had not seen him killing, so also he had not seen those living insects. Besides, as the thero had already attained enlightenment (Arhathood), he was incapable of the intention of killing and so was entirely innocent." When asked why Chakkhupala was blind although he was an arahant, the Buddha related the following story. Chakkhupala was a physician in one of his previous lives. A woman had come to the physician to receive treatment for her failing eyesight. That woman had promised him to become his servant, together with her children, if her eyes were completely cured. The physician accepted the offer and started treating her rather successfully. Fearing that she and her children would have to become servants, the woman lied to the physician. She told him that her eyes were getting worse when, in fact, they were perfectly cured. The physician knew she was deceiving him, so he gave her another ointment in revenge, which made her blind. As a result of this evil deed, the physician lost his eyesight many times in his later incarnations. This goes to show that Chakkhupala's blindness was the consequence of his having acted with malicious intent in a previous existence. I’m sure our readers can relate to this from their own experiences.

Story of Mattakundali

Mattakundali’s story will show our readers how fortunes contrasting from the previous story were granted to him by his wholesome thoughts. While residing at the Jetavanarama monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered the second verse concerning Mattakundali, who was a young man. Mattakundali was a young man whose father, Adinnapubbaka, was a miser and never gave anything to charity. Even the customary ornaments made for his only son were made by himself to save payment for workmanship. No physician was consulted when his son fell ill until it was too late. When he realised that his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside onto the veranda so that people visiting the patient would not see his possessions. That morning, the Buddha, arising early from his deep absorption of compassion, saw Mattakundali lying on the veranda. So, when entering Savatthi for alms-food with his disciples, the Buddha stood near the door of Adinnapubbaka. The Buddha sent forth a ray of light to attract the attention of the young Mattakundali, facing the opposite direction. The youth saw the Buddha, and as he was frail, he could only profess his faith mentally. But that was enough. When he passed away with his heart in devotion to the Buddha, he was reborn in the Tāvatimsa celestial world. From his heavenly abode, the young Mattakundali, seeing his father mourning over him at the cemetery, appeared to the old man in the likeness of his old self. He told his father about his rebirth in the Tāvatimsa world and also urged him to approach and invite the Buddha to an alms offering. At the house of Adinnapubbaka, the question of whether one could or could not be reborn in a celestial world simply by mentally professing profound faith in the Buddha without giving in charity or observing the moral precepts was brought up. So, the Buddha willed that Mattakundali should appear in person; Mattakundali soon appeared fully decked with celestial ornaments and told them about his rebirth in the Tāvatimsa world. Then only did the audience become convinced that the son of Adinnapubbaka, by simply devoting his mind to the Buddha, had attained much glory. Our readers can see that Mattakundali's happy existence in the Tāvatimsa celestial world resulted from his mental devotion (manopasāda) to the Buddha. If our readers develop devotion towards the Buddha, similar might be destined for them.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Thoughts lead to actions. We can find evidence of our topic of discussion in the Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament of the Bible. When one of Jesus's disciples, Peter, attacked the servant of the High Priest of Israel and cut off his ear, Jesus revolted at the revelation. He immediately rebuked Peter’s actions, saying: "Put your sword back in its place", and "For all who draw the sword will die by the sword". In simpler terms, if you choose to use violence or aggression to solve problems, you will eventually suffer the same fate. It's a warning against resorting to violence as a quick fix, as it often leads to a vicious cycle of revenge and retaliation. Instead, I encourage our readers to find peaceful and non-violent solutions to conflicts, no matter how dire the situation might appear. It might be difficult or even seem impossible at that moment, but if you heed our advice, you will thank yourself later for it.

Accountability

Let us always remember that once we make a choice, whether right or wrong, we are fully accountable for the repercussions. Taking ownership and accountability instead of feeling repentant will transform our readers into mature, responsible individuals, an essential facet of personal and professional growth. It means acknowledging one's actions, accepting responsibility for the consequences, and actively seeking solutions to rectify any harm caused. When we take accountability, we demonstrate integrity and honesty, which helps build trust with others. It also allows us to learn from our mistakes and improve our decision-making skills. Avoiding accountability only leads to a lack of trust and credibility and can damage relationships and reputation, sometimes irrevocably. Therefore, the importance of taking accountability cannot be overstated, as it is critical to success and personal growth. I trust our readers can remember that when they started making progress in their lives, whether in their careers or other aspects, a significant proportion of such progress was brought about by their taking accountability for their actions.

Conclusion

To summarise what we have been discussing, wholesome thoughts lead to positive outcomes, and immoral thoughts lead to adverse outcomes. But be aware that your thoughts and actions are greatly influenced by the environment you have created for yourself. I.e. your family, your work colleagues, and your circle of friends. You are a product of your environment. Your choices, decisions, and preferences are a composition of the views, opinions, and knowledge in that setting. Therefore, choose your friends and associates wisely. If you want to get in shape, hang out with fitness enthusiasts. If you want to improve academically, be with students who excel in academics. If you want to progress in your career, spend time with career-driven colleagues. If you seek the truth, be with truth seekers, not thrill seekers. I feel blessed to be in constant company with the Maha Sangha in our monastery because it is virtually impossible to go wrong under their care, guidance and leadership. Let your actions define who you are. Even if the entire world is full of wrongdoers, our readers should always think compassionately about others, putting others’ needs before their own. Swim against the tide because it is not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you. If you only think of yourself, not worrying about others, you get what you give. Ultimately, you are only damaging yourself. I cannot imagine any of our readers subscribe to that kind of thinking. If by chance you are, now is the time to change. Otherwise, you will have to die by the sword you lived by.

May the Noble Triple Gem bless you all!