[Zen] What is Right Action ... ???

[Bhikkhu Samahita]

Friends:             What is this essential Right Action ? The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbāna, is simply this: Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness, & Right Concentration. But what is Right Action ?                       The 3-fold Definition of Right Action:                       Avoiding all Killing and Injuring of any living Being...                       Abstaining from Taking & Stealing what is not Given...                       Stopping all Misuse of any Sensual Pleasure...                       That is Right Action!             The Characterization of Right Action: Friends, it is caused by behaviour in conflict with the Dhamma, by reason of immoral behaviour, that some beings here, right at the breakup of the body, after death, reappear lost in states of pain, in unhappy destinations, in the downfall, even in the hells... It is caused by behaviour in harmony with the Dhamma, by reason of moral behaviour, that some beings here, on the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly worlds!!! And which, friends, are the 3 kinds of bodily moral behaviour in harmony with the Dhamma? Here someone, stop any killing of living beings, abstains from injuring living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kind, such one dwells sympathetic towards all living beings. Avoiding the taking of what is not given, such one refrains from stealing, what is not given; such one does not take by way of theft the wealth and property of others, neither in the village nor in the forest. Abandoning abuse in sensual pleasures, such one gives up misuse in sensual pleasures; such one does not have intercourse with partners, who are protected by their mother, or father, or mother and father, or brother, or sister, or relatives, who is married, who are protected by law, or who are engaged to other side. That is how there are three kinds of bodily moral behaviour in harmony with the Dhamma... Such is Right Action!           The Explanation of Right Action: Primary of these is the ending of intentional killing or destroying of beings either by physical action or by verbal incitement, ranging from killing eggs of lice and bugs, or causing abortion, to any slaughter of living creatures, including human beings. Restraint from taking, what is not given, means abstaining from taking, with intention to steal, living beings or non-living articles, which have an owner, removing or appropriating them, without the owner's consent, either by physical effort or by inciting another to do so. Restraint from wrong behaviour in sensual pleasures means abstention from any kind of sex, which will cause pain and suffering to others. Examples will be adultery, since this causes the disruption of marriage, rape, intercourse with minors protected by parents, & perversion of others. Included here also are abstention from use of booze, drugs and any kinds of intoxicants, which causes carelessness, and gambling with cards, dices, on horses, teams etc. Knowing right & wrong Action as right & wrong Action, is Right View. Awareness of presence of right & wrong Action, is Right Awareness. Exchanging wrong Action with right Action, is Right Effort... Further study of Buddhist Right Action (Samma-Kammanta): http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/samma-kammanto.html  ________________________________________________________  PS: Please include the word Samahita in any request, since then  will my automatic mail filters pick it up and I will see it & respond!  Bhikkhu Samāhita, Sri Lanka.  Friendship is the Greatest ...  Let there be Calm Free Bliss !!!  http://groups.msn.com/DirectDhamma  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddha-Direct  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/What_Buddha_Said  Dhamma-Questions sent to my email are quite Welcome. Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS  Visit your group "ZenForum" on the web.    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.