Page 95 - The Buddha‘s Noble Eightfold Path

as a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates. If someone was to

ask him, 'Don't you love your wife?' You never take her as much
as a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates,' the average

husband would reply, 'What's the need? Of course I love her, but
she should know that after all these years!' This is very bad
psychology. People should not have to take it for granted, or just

imagine, that we do have feelings towards them. It should be
quite obvious, from our words and actions. Indeed we should

actually take steps to keep alive the spirit of love and friendship.
That is why in all social life, and in Buddhist social life especially,
such things as the exchanging of gifts, and the extending of

invitations, are very much emphasized. It is not enough to sit in
your own room, or even in your own cell, radiating thoughts of

love. Good and wonderful though that may be, it must come
down to some concrete expression. Only then will such thoughts
be reciprocated in a tangible way by other people.

(ii) The second of the Five Precepts is abstention from taking the

not-given. This, again, is a literal translation. It is not just
abstention from theft. That would be too easy to evade or to
circumvent. The Second Precept involves abstention from any

kind of dishonesty, any kind of misappropriation or exploitation,
because all these things are expressions of craving, or selfish

desire. The positive counterpart of abstention from taking the
not-given is, of course, dana, or generosity. Here, again, it -is- not
simply the generous feeling, the will to give, that is meant, but

the generous act itself. There is no need for me to elaborate.
Dana is something which all those who have contact with living

Buddhism for any length of time very quickly come to
understand.

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