"Don't Look Down on the Defilements"

Sayadaw Ashin Tejaniya (W.A.V.E. 2018); Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The nature of mind and the defilements

We're always asked, "What are you reading now?" There aren't that many good Dharma (Dhamma) books rolling out.

We never needed very many books, yet we thought we did. We needed answers. Now we have thousands of Buddhist books to choose from. But how often does one stand out? If it did, we'd talk about it, assuming we saw it. Wouldn't it be great if people sent in book reviews?

There's an interesting book we've had recommended a few times. It's smaller than usual and playful, almost cartoonish. It begins:

DEFILEMENTS [kilesas] are not only the gross manifestations of greed, hatred, and delusion [or attraction, aversion, and wrong views] but also the very distant ones!! [What are they? There are ten:

1. 

   What are defilements? (Hermit Scriptures)

   greed (lobha)
2. hate (dosa)
3. delusion (moha)
4. conceit (māna)
5. speculative views (ditthi)
6. skeptical doubt (vicikicchā)
7. mental torpor (thīna)
8. restlessness (uddhacca)
9. shamelessness (ahirika)
10. lack of moral dread (anottappa).]

See if you've ever had thoughts like these cross your mind.

• "Those lights should not be on at this time of day!"
• "His behavior is so irritating."
• "She should not have done that."
• "I could do it a lot faster."
• "I'm a hopeless meditator; my mind cannot even stay on the rising-falling for one minute."
• "Yesterday my meditation was so good; today I am all over the place."
• "Wow, this was a wonderful sit; now I need to be really mindful so I don't lose this feeling."
• "I must stay in the Dharma hall; others will think I am lazy if I don't."
• "I need an extra portion of potatoes today because it's good for my health."
• "Yuck! This salad has onions in it!"
• "Not bananas again!"
• "He is so selfish and inconsiderate."
• "Why, O, why is this happening to me?"
• "Who is responsible for cleaning the toilets?"
• "Why is this [jerk] walking here?"
• "They shouldn't be making so much noise!"
• "There are too many people here, so I can't meditate."
• "Who's sitting in my seat?!"
• "OMG, she's so pretty!"
• "He walks so elegantly; if only I could walk like that."

All such thoughts are motivated by defilements! Don't underestimate them!

Have you ever told someone you were not angry even though you clearly did not like what s/he had done? Do you sometimes talk negatively about the boss, a family member, or even a good friend? Do you occasionally tell a dirty joke?

Filth isn't funny. These are but at a price.

Do you habitually sweet talk people into doing things for you? Do you automatically raise your voice when someone does not agree with your point of view?

All such talk is motivated by defilements! Watch out for it!

Bad karma, but I get the last laugh, chicks, and $$, you jerks!

 

[Defilements] Will Laugh At You

Have you ever knocked really hard on someone's door, or refused to enter a room simply because someone you dislike was in there, or jumped the queue [cut into the line], or used the shampoo someone left in the bathroom, or done any similar actions [accumulated karma], all sort of unthinkingly?

All such actions are motivated [cetana] by defilements! Become aware of them.

Reading this, I saw myself (wayfair.com)

These words, with some minor adjustments, are found on pages 7 and 9, page 8 being a drawing of a person looking in the morning mirror with the caption reading, "Do you see your real face?" The person looking back in the mirror is beautiful, whereas the person looking into it, not so much.

BOOK: See earlier edition (2015) Don't Look Down on the Defilements - They Will Laugh at You by Ashin Tejaniya and hope for another W.A.V.E. dhamma-dana printing.