Page 43 - Suffering
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2: RIGHT INTENTION*
or Right Thoughts or Right Resolve recognizing that
actions are shaped by habits of greed, hatred and delusion,**
or by habits of compassion, understanding and love.
For a person intent on the path, the giving up of home
and adopting the life of a mendicant aims at peaceful
renunciation, into an environment of non-sensuality, non-ill-
will (to loving kindness), away from cruelty (to compassion).
Such an environment aids contemplation of
impermanence, suffering and non-self.
However, a layperson may see this practise by restraining
and minimising acts of sensuality, ill will and delusion
from arising in the mind before it becomes physical and
verbal actions.
Greed (Lobha)**: wishing, craving, self-indulgence, desire
for wealth & fame, attachment and lust has the concept
of grasping an object. It manifests as non-giving up and its
proximate cause is seeing enjoyment in things that lead to
clinging and not letting go.
An example, hoarding things. Stealing, sexual misconduct
and covetousness are demeritorious deeds due to greed.
Greed’s antidote is generosity (Dana).
Hatred (Dosa)**: Resentment, dislike, grudge, anger,
vengefulness and irritability are vicious and spread
like poison, and its proximate cause is the grounds for
annoyance. Killing, harsh speech, lying, slandering speech
and ill-will are demeritorious deeds due to hatred.
Hatred’s antidote is loving kindness. (Metta)
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