Right Motivation and Right Action

These verses are found in several discourses given by the Buddha to the bhikkhus and in a discourse given to the layman Sigalaka.[1] They are given in connection with the four categories of following the wrong way (agati-gamana).[2] If a person’s actions are motivated by desire (chanda), hatred (dosa), fear (bhaya), and ignorance (moha), the Buddha said, that will lead to rebirth in hell.[3] If these are avoided, it will lead to rebirth in a heavenly world.[4]

According to the Nettipakarana,[5] these four bad motivations arise through the three roots of bad volitional actions: going the wrong way through desire is rooted in greed (lobha), the root for hatred is hatred itself (dosa), and fear and ignorance are both rooted in ignorance (moha). There are several other words used as synonyms for greed: sensual desire (raga) and craving (tanha). These terms encompass all sorts of desire, but in our list of five wrong motivations, the term chanda refers especially to the desire to accumulate tangible goods. Ashin Buddhaghosa defines five types of chanda:[6]

1. desire to search (pariyesana-chanda),
2. desire to acquire (patilabhi-chanda),
3. desire to enjoy (paribhoga-chanda),
4. desire to store up (sannidhi-chanda),
5. desire to give (vissajana-chanda).

When desire leads to dissatisfaction, a person will zealously search for, acquire, and enjoy objects of sound, smell, taste, and touch. He or she will search for, acquire, and enjoy riches. Hoarding riches will lead to distress. And here, the desire to give is not motivated by generosity. Riches are given away to others by a person who thinks, "They will protect me, they will guard me, they will be attached to me, they will attend on me."

The four categories of following the wrong way are explained in the Vinaya-pitaka with reference to the qualities that should be possessed by a bhikkhu who speaks to the Sangha when there is conflict.[7] "Following the wrong way through desire"[8] means a bhikkhu distorts the Doctrine in eighteen ways because he feels sorry for[9] or wants to protect his preceptor, his teacher, the person who shares his cell, his pupil, a fellow-preceptor, a fellow-teacher, a friend, a companion, or a relative.

The eighteen ways of distorting the Doctrine can be summarized as follows:[10] a person confuses the Doctrine with what is not the Doctrine, he confuses the discipline with what is not the discipline; he confuses what was said or what was not said by the Buddha, what the Buddha practised or did not practise, what the Buddha laid down or did not lay down; he confuses what is an offence and what is not an offence or what is and what is not a serious offence, offences that can be put behind[11] and those that cannot,[12] and he confuses very serious offences with those that are not so serious.

A person who acts this way through desire is working against people’s welfare and happiness. He is not working for the goal. Such actions lead to woe and anguish for Devas and all humanity. Such a person is "done for, destroyed, he looks after self, is blameworthy and is to be blamed by learned men, and he sets up much demerit."[13]

Obviously, we should all avoid distorting the Doctrine taught by the Buddha. Many of these eighteen points refer to those who are members of the Sangha--all the points referring to offences. Members of the lay community can adapt the Buddha’s instructions about these by understanding correctly the Teachings concerning leading moral lives. In that way, they will be able to recognize the actions they must avoid at all times through following the five precepts. They will also learn how to go further in observing morality as we will see below.

Not distorting the Doctrine or the Discipline is important for laypeople too. If we are to present the Buddha’s Teachings correctly we must study them in theory as well as put them into practice.

These eighteen points are also important in connection with the other three wrong ways that should not be followed. Each of the three wrong motivations can lead an individual to distort the Buddha’s Teachings.

Hatred can arise due to nine causes of resentment (aghata): we may bear resentment because we say to ourselves that another person has done, is doing, or will do harm to us; or we say another person has done, is doing, or will do harm to those we like; or we say another person has done, is doing, or will do good to someone we dislike. These nine causes lead to animosity, anger, and to being overwhelmed by anger.[14]

Ignorance leads to following the wrong way through the three roots of evil actions: a person who is impassioned will follow the wrong way because of sensual desires, a person who is corrupt will follow it because of hatred, and a person who is confused will follow it because of ignorance. Such a person is defiled through wrong view. Being confused, bewildered, and overwhelmed by ignorance, such a person will distort the Teachings of the Buddha.

Fear leads to following the wrong way when a person thinks that someone who is harsh and cruel will create a danger to the holy life (brahmacariya) or to life, through bad conduct, or through the thicket (of adopting extreme views or wrong views), or through power (such as depending on bhikkhus who are powerful and well-known).[15] Terrified by this fear, a person will distort the Teachings of the Buddha.

In the commentary on the Digha-nikaya, Ashin Buddhaghosa gives more examples of how the wrong way is followed through desire, hatred, ignorance, or fear. Desire or affection (pema) can lead to a person taking possession of things he does not own by saying to himself, "This is my friend, this is my companion, this is my relation, this is a present he gives to me."

Hatred can lead to dispossessing the rightful owner of what he has when a person thinks, "He is hostile towards me," or when a person is looking for revenge or is angry.

Ignorance can lead to a person taking what he does not own by saying this or that through stupidity or foolishness.

A person may take what is not his because he is frightened and thinks, "He could harm me in evil ways," or "He is the king’s favourite."

Finally, one of these wrong ways will influence a person when he is distributing something. Excessive affection will lead to giving more to someone when the giver thinks, "This is my companion," or "This is my devoted friend." Hatred will lead to giving less because the giver thinks, "He is hostile to me." The foolish man may sometimes give too much and sometimes give too little because he does not know better. Or the giver may be frightened and give more, thinking, "He could harm me by taking this from me."

These four types of wrong motivation are constantly mentioned as qualities to be avoided by bhikkhus who take on responsibilities in the Sangha. Five qualities are usually mentioned: the absence of following the wrong way through desire, hatred, ignorance, or fear, and understanding what is involved in the job they are responsible for. The bhikkhu who is the meal-distributor, for example, must understand what has and what has not been distributed.[16]

The Buddha told Ven. Upali, who was foremost among the bhikkhus in the Rules of Discipline, that bhikkhus who were responsible for these various duties would be destined for the Niraya Hell if they were guilty of following the wrong way through desire, hatred, fear, and ignorance. Avoiding these would lead to the celestial worlds.[17]

Those who are fully awakened, Arahats, are incapable of doing nine types of immoral acts:[18] killing, stealing, telling a deliberate lie, storing up goods for sensual pleasure as they did when they were laymen, or going the wrong way through desire, hatred, ignorance, or fear. We can surmise from this statement that until we reach full awakening, we will have to be constantly on guard against letting the four types of going the wrong way influence our actions.

In the Nettipakarana,[19] the four wrong ways are said to be the unskilful roots (akusala-mula) of the ten unskilful ways of acting (akusala-kamma-patha). These ten are either intentional actions--physical and verbal acts--or mental actions. There are three bad physical actions (kaya-duccarita): killing (panatipata), stealing (adinnadana), and sexual misconduct (kamesu micchacara). There are four bad verbal actions (vaci-duccarita): lying(musavada), malicious talks (pisuna-vaca), harsh speech (pharusa-vaca), and frivolous chatter (sampha-ppalapa). There are three bad mental actions (mano-duccarita): coveting other people’s property (abhijjha), malevolent thoughts (vyapada), and holding wrong beliefs (miccha-ditthi).

Hatred (dosa) leads to killing, stealing, and harsh speech. Greed (lobha) leads to stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying. Ignorance (moha) leads to frivolous chatter. Greed leads to coveting other people’s property. Hatred leads to malevolent thoughts. Wrong beliefs are the wrong path (miccha-magga, the opposite of the Noble Eightfold Path).

More details of these ten unskilful ways of acting and of the opposite ten skilful ways of acting are found in several discourses in the Pali canon. [20] Especially of interest is the explanation of skilful and unskilful speech and mental actions.

Lying refers especially to being a bad witness. This will be the case if a person says he heard or saw something that he did not hear or see, or if a person says he did not hear or see something he did hear or see. Intentional lying is done either for one’s own benefit, for someone else’s benefit, and for some material gain. Refraining from lying is opposed to all of this.

Malicious talk means that a person repeats what he has heard in order to divide other people. He sows discord among people who were in harmony and aggravates discord when it already exists. He takes pleasure in discord, delights in it, it is his joy and motivates his speech. The person who abandons malicious speech does not repeat what he has heard to sow discord. He reconciles those who are divided and unites his friends. He takes pleasure in harmony, delights in it, it is his joy and motivates his speech.

Harsh speech is rough, hard, severe on others, abusive of others, bordering on wrath, and is not conducive to concentration. The opposite is speech that is gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, urbane, and pleasant to the multitude.

Frivolous chatter results when a person speaks at a wrong time, saying things that do not conform to the facts--his speech is not about the goal, it is about what is not the Doctrine or discipline. It is not worth treasuring. It is spoken at the wrong time and so it is incongruous, has no purpose, and is not connected with the goal. By abandoning frivolous chatter, a person speaks at the right time, in accordance with fact, about the goal, about the Doctrine and discipline. His speech is worth treasuring, with timely similes that are purposeful and connected with the goal.

Covetous thought means coveting other people’s property, thinking, "Oh may I have what this other person has!" The opposite, of course, is to give up such coveting.

Malevolent thoughts occur when a person is corrupt in mind and purpose. They are thoughts such as, "Let beings be killed or slaughtered or annihilated or destroyed, or may they not exist at all." The opposite means thoughts such as, "May beings be friendly, peaceful, secure, happy, may they be protected."

Wrong view is basically not believing that volitional actions lead to results and not believing that there are those who live righteously, who explain this world and the world beyond, having realized them through their own higher knowledge (abhinna) (in other words, denying the existence of Buddhas, according to the commentary). Right view is the belief that volitional actions, whether good or bad, will give results. Some of the actions mentioned are making gifts, making offerings, making sacrifices, honouring one’s father and mother. Through right view a person recognizes that this world and the world beyond exist and that there are beings of spontaneous birth. One also accepts that there are recluses and brahmans who live righteously and who proclaim this world and the world beyond, having realized them through their higher knowledge.

One of the discourses that mentions the ten skilful and ten unskilful types of conduct gives us more details on how to develop correctly. In this discourse concerning "what is to be followed and what is not to be followed," the Buddha gave a short discourse that was explained in detail by the chief disciple Sariputta. It is clear from Ven. Sariputta’s explanation that a useful way to judge whether our actions are good or bad is to examine whether unskilful states of mind are multiplied and skilful states of mind diminished or whether the opposite is the case. We can apply this by noting whether our actions, speech, and thoughts are accompanied by craving, hatred, or ignorance. If we find they are present, we do not need to examine further. No matter how easy it might be to justify our actions, if one or more of these three bad roots are present, we can be sure those are actions that we should not be doing or saying or dwelling on in our thoughts.

Mother Sayamagyi has pointed out that we must be extra careful to work to eliminate the four wrong motivations that lead to following the wrong way. If we break one of the five precepts we will certainly suffer for that, but if we follow the wrong way through desire, hatred, fear, or ignorance, this will lead to rebirth in the lower planes of existence --and it is extremely difficult to escape from these planes of suffering. So we must all work constantly to eliminate unskilful states of mind and to develop skilful states of mind. It can be done.

Sayagyi U Chit Tin

FOOTNOTES:

1. D sutta no 31.
2. For a discussion of the translation of agati-gamana, see Peta-Stories, p. 174, note 3.
3. A II 19 (GS II 19).
4. Ibid. and D III 181 (THIH, p. 462).
5. See The Guide, p. 68.
6. Sv III 228.
7. BD VI 271ff.
8. Miss Horner translates chanda by "partiality."
9. Anukampa, usually translated "compassion."
10. See BD IV 506.
11. Anavasesa, literally: "without remainder."
12. If a bhikkhu is guilty of breaking one of the first four rules of the Patimokkha, for example, he must return to lay life and cannot return to the Sangha.
13. BD VI 272.
14. BD VI 272. A tenth cause of resentment is given at GS V 102: "one is groundlessly annoyed." Ashin Buddhaghosa explains this to mean "anger without reason; for example, someone gets angry saying ‘it rains too much,’ ‘it does not rain,’ ‘the sun shines too much,’ ‘it does not shine’; gets angry when the wind blows, when it does not blow, gets angry at being unable to sweep away the Bodhi leaves, at being unable to put on his robe; he gets angry with the wind, in slipping he gets angry with a tree-stump..." (Expos, p. 472), The nine types above, he says, are to be divided into being harmful or beneficial by thought, word, and deed. This is because they concern people. The tenth type is not divided in this way.
15. The words in parentheses are from the commentary, Sv VII 1368.
16. GS II 19, BD V 247. Other duties, mentioned at GS III 199 and BD IV 400-403, V 247-249, include those of the bhikkhus who accept robe-material, guard the storeroom, distribute robe-material, keep robe-material, distribute (voting) tickets, assign lodgings, distribute conjey (raw sugar), or fruit, or solid food, dispose of trifles (scissors, sandals, etc.), receive lower robes, accept outer robes, accept bowls, superintend the monastery attendants, or superintend the novices. These qualities are also mentioned in con- nection with a bhikkhu who speaks before the Sangha (BD VI 300), a bhikkhu who is agreed upon for a referendum (BD VI 319), and a bhikkhu who is to settle a legal question (BD VI 321).
17. BD VI 327.
18. D III 133 (THIHd, p. 435), GS IV 246.
19. The Guide, p. 67.
20. MLS I 58, 344-349, III 94-104; GS V 176-180.
21. MLS III 94-104.

• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Buddhism As a Way of Life
• Some Aspects of How Sayagyi U Ba Khin Began His Mission
• Theravada Buddhist Meditation As Taught By Sayagyi U Ba Khin
• Leading Virtuous Lives As Laymen
• Making the Most of This Life
• The Two Guardians of the World: A Sense of Shame, A Fear of Blame (hiri-ottappa)
• The Triple Refuge (ti-sarana)
• The Warning of the Deva-Messengers
• Floods of Merit
• The Story of Pacceka Buddha Matanga
• The Person the Buddha Would Not Admonish
• Inevitable Suffering and the Hope of Nibbana
• The Three Traditional Destroyers
• The Five Best Opportunities That Are Difficult to Obtain
• Four Ways of Practising the Buddha-Dhamma
• The Light of the Dhamma
• Concerning Nibbana-dathu
• Honour to Whom Honour is Due, Examples to be Followed
• Aparihaniya Dhamma: The Conditions of Welfare
• Being Assured of Attaining Nibbana
• The Good Friend
• Insight Meditation: The Benefits to be Derived from Developing Vipassana
• The Middle Practice
• Practising the Buddha-Dhamma as Laymen
• Practising What We Preach
• Teaching the Buddha Dhamma
• The Life of the Buddha by Ven. Ledi Sayadaw

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