Blessing Sixteen:
Dhamma Practice
Dhamma Practice
C. PURE PRACTICE
A second facet of Dhamma Practice is behaving in accordance with purity. This means particularly in our decision-making we must establish our thinking in âpurityâ and not allow impure things like defilements and temptation to interfere with what we know is good and fair. Pure practice instills respect for the human dignity of yourself and others. It includes:
âĒ refraining from bias (see @C.1 below);
âĒ avoiding the six roads to ruin (see Blessing 19);
âĒ fulfilling oneâs duties in the six directions mentioned under the relevant blessing topic:
- a childâs duties to their parents (see Blessing 11, @C.4);
- a parentâs duty to their child (see Blessing 12, @B.3);
- a studentâs duties to their teacher (see Blessing 7, @E.1);
- a teacherâs duties to their students (see Blessing 7@, E.1);
- a husbandâs duty to their wife (see Blessing 13, @C.2.3);
- a wifeâs duty to their husband (see Blessing 13, @C.2.4);
- friendsâ duties to each other (see Blessing 2, @D.2);
- an employerâs duties to their employees (see Blessing 18, @D.1);
- an employeeâs duties to their employer (see Blessing 18, @D.2);
- a congregation memberâs duties to their clergy (see Blessing 15, @E.1);
- a clergymanâs duty to the congregation (see Blessing 3, @C.2);
C.1 Lack of Bias
The four forms of bias comprise:
1. Bias because of desire [chandÄgati]: e.g. parents who don't love their children equally because of bias based on desire, may treat their children unfairly;
2. Bias because of hatred [dosÄgati]: e.g. teachers suffering from bias based on hatred or anger will behave unfairly towards annoying students, perhaps awarding them less than their due grades;
3. Bias because of ignorance [mohÄgati]: e.g. someone who suffers from bias because of ignorance may take decisions based on his own stupidity or lack of information or put someone wicked or stupid in a position of responsibility;
4. Bias because of fear [byÄgati].e.g. someone who is biased because of his fears might bear false witness against someone he knows is innocent because someone he is afraid of told him to do so.
All forms of bias cause us to trample the dignity of the innocent. Trampling dignity through bias starts with trampling oneâs own dignity, by twisting the truth in oneâs own heart and mind. Such bias in our minds then twists the things we say and do to deviate from what is righteous and appropriate. Such behaviours are all the sign of a cowardly and wicked person who has no love of justice â and who neither respects his own human dignity or that of others.
Anyone who knows that they have been maltreated by someone else as a result of that personâs bias cannot help but feel sad, angry or vengeful â and with the progressive accumulation of such negative emotions in the mind â might eventually lead him to act wickedly himself towards the person in question in any of the four categories already discussed above in the Four Defilements of Action. Thus we can see how one personâs bias might undermine anotherâs responsibility for the human dignity of others.
Thus we can conclude that bias undermines a personâs responsibility towards human dignity whether it remains unexpressed in a personâs mind, or whether it causes resentment in another in response to an unjust action.
Bias is very damaging to the cultivation of virtue because the best of intentions such as giving a gift out of âgratitudeâ can become interpreted as something base like nepotism or corruption if there is even the slightest suspicion of bias. If one can be sure that no-one involved in any situation is subject to bias â one can cultivate good deeds to the full.
Anyone who can abstain from the Four Forms of Bias is someone who abides in justice. They will be someone who follows strictly the guidelines of all that is fair.
C.2 The Ten Virtues of a Ruler
The Buddha taught the Ten Virtues of a Ruler [rÄjadhamma] as guidelines for the conduct of those in a position of power (J.v.378):
1. generosity [dÄna];
2. self-discipline [sÄŦla];
3. self-sacrifice [pariccÄga];
4. integrity [Äjjava];
5. gentleness [maddava];
6. austerity [tapa];
7. non-anger [akkodha];
8. non-violence [avihiáđsa];
9. patience [khanti];
10. non-deviation from righteousness [avirodhana].
Thus whoever you are, you should not infringe the rights of others, twist the truth or bear false witness. You should follow social laws and regulations consistently â not intentionally breaking the law. One should neither slip into the Four Defilements of Action nor pressurize others into such behaviour. Even the simple adherence to consistent honesty, avoiding breaking social laws and traditions by protecting oneself from bias will stop one from stirring society into unrest. Thus anyone who abstains from the Four Forms of Bias can also be considered, to a slightly greater extent, to be a person with social responsibility.
