Positive Response: How to Meet Evil With Good
By Acharya Buddharakkhita (Bodhi Leaves No. 109, BPS)
By Acharya Buddharakkhita (Bodhi Leaves No. 109, BPS)
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Preface
This booklet contains a collection of short discourses delivered by the Buddha and a passage from the Path of Purification, each preceded by a brief introduction by the translator. The unifying theme of these pieces may be called a positive response in dealing with provocative people and situations. The texts set forth practical techniques taught by the Buddha for overcoming resentment, hatred, and other such pollutants, and for cultivating such elevating mental qualities as good will, amity, and compassion. For anyone intent on spiritual development these practical instructions will help to cleanse the mind and to unfold its great hidden potentials.
Introduction
In the realm of spirituality, "tit for tat," very much a norm in the world, never works. It is only by a positive response that spiritual progress is possible. If one is reproached, even manhandled, and one reacts with resentment, one would certainly fail either to achieve a purposive result for oneself or to win over the opponent. But if one endures the reproach and responds with good will, then one can win over the offending person as well as effect a significant triumph over oneself, making progress on the onward path to spiritual liberation.
Preface
This booklet contains a collection of short discourses delivered by the Buddha and a passage from the Path of Purification, each preceded by a brief introduction by the translator. The unifying theme of these pieces may be called a positive response in dealing with provocative people and situations. The texts set forth practical techniques taught by the Buddha for overcoming resentment, hatred, and other such pollutants, and for cultivating such elevating mental qualities as good will, amity, and compassion. For anyone intent on spiritual development these practical instructions will help to cleanse the mind and to unfold its great hidden potentials.
Introduction
In the realm of spirituality, "tit for tat," very much a norm in the world, never works. It is only by a positive response that spiritual progress is possible. If one is reproached, even manhandled, and one reacts with resentment, one would certainly fail either to achieve a purposive result for oneself or to win over the opponent. But if one endures the reproach and responds with good will, then one can win over the offending person as well as effect a significant triumph over oneself, making progress on the onward path to spiritual liberation.
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An outlook that fosters a positive response to every negative move thus becomes imperative to any serious seeker of truth. It is essential, therefore, that a meditator should assiduously strive to cultivate a positive attitude leading to the conquest of evil by good.
The Parable of the Saw (Kakacupama Sutra, MN 21)
The Buddha, in a masterly discourse entitled "The Parable of the Saw," makes this point amply clear. The Buddha exhorts the monk Phagguna: "Phagguna, if anyone were to reproach you right to your face... give you a blow with the hand, or hit you with a clod of earth, or with a stick, or with a sword, even then you should abandon those urges and thoughts which are worldly [i.e., the normal way of the world — tit for tat]. There, Phagguna, you should train yourself thus: 'Neither shall my mind be affected by this, nor shall I give vent to evil words; but I shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and I shall not give in to hatred.'"
So that the point will go straight home, the Buddha recounts a delightful story of the mistress Vedehika, which is again supported by several analogies: the great earth, empty space, the river Ganges, and the catskin bag.
To emphasize this philosophy of positive approach, the Buddha further tells the monks that even if bandits were to sever them limb by limb with a double-handled saw, they should not give way to hatred but must develop thoughts of boundless love towards the bandits as well as the entire world.
The monks, it is said, were greatly inspired as they heard this philosophy of positive response.
The Parable of the Saw (Kakacupama Sutra, MN 21)
The Buddha, in a masterly discourse entitled "The Parable of the Saw," makes this point amply clear. The Buddha exhorts the monk Phagguna: "Phagguna, if anyone were to reproach you right to your face... give you a blow with the hand, or hit you with a clod of earth, or with a stick, or with a sword, even then you should abandon those urges and thoughts which are worldly [i.e., the normal way of the world — tit for tat]. There, Phagguna, you should train yourself thus: 'Neither shall my mind be affected by this, nor shall I give vent to evil words; but I shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and I shall not give in to hatred.'"
So that the point will go straight home, the Buddha recounts a delightful story of the mistress Vedehika, which is again supported by several analogies: the great earth, empty space, the river Ganges, and the catskin bag.
To emphasize this philosophy of positive approach, the Buddha further tells the monks that even if bandits were to sever them limb by limb with a double-handled saw, they should not give way to hatred but must develop thoughts of boundless love towards the bandits as well as the entire world.
The monks, it is said, were greatly inspired as they heard this philosophy of positive response.
The Sutra
"Phagguna, if anyone were to reproach you right to your face, even then you should abandon those urges and thoughts which are worldly. There, Phagguna, you should train yourself thus: 'Neither shall my mind be affected by this, nor shall I give vent to evil words; but I shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and I shall not give in to hatred.' This is how, Phagguna, you should train yourself."
"Phagguna, if anyone were to reproach you right to your face, even then you should abandon those urges and thoughts which are worldly. There, Phagguna, you should train yourself thus: 'Neither shall my mind be affected by this, nor shall I give vent to evil words; but I shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and I shall not give in to hatred.' This is how, Phagguna, you should train yourself."
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Positive Response of Love
"Monks, there are these five modes of speech which people might use when speaking to you — speech that is timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, with a good or a harmful motive, and with a loving heart or hostility.
"Monks, some might speak to you using speech that is timely or untimely; monks, some might speak to you according to truth or falsely; monks, some might speak to you gently or harshly; monks, some might speak to you with a good motive or with a harmful motive; monks, some might speak to you with a loving heart or with hostility. On all occasions, monks, you should train yourselves thus:
"Monks, there are these five modes of speech which people might use when speaking to you — speech that is timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, with a good or a harmful motive, and with a loving heart or hostility.
"Monks, some might speak to you using speech that is timely or untimely; monks, some might speak to you according to truth or falsely; monks, some might speak to you gently or harshly; monks, some might speak to you with a good motive or with a harmful motive; monks, some might speak to you with a loving heart or with hostility. On all occasions, monks, you should train yourselves thus:
"'Neither shall our minds be affected by this, nor for this matter shall we give vent to evil words, but we shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and we shall not give in to hatred. On the contrary, we shall live projecting thoughts of universal love to that very person, making him as well as the whole world the object of our thoughts of universal love — thoughts that have grown great, exalted and measureless. We shall dwell radiating these thoughts which are void of hostility and ill will.' It is in this way, monks, that you should train yourselves."
Copyright ©1987 Buddhist Publication Society. Access to Insight edition ©2006. For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted, reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish, however, that any such republication and redistribution be made available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and that translations and other derivative works be clearly marked.
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