“What goes around comes around”
Concise Dhamma discourse of Ashin Jeyapandita (Pilot Sayadaw)at Sitagu Dhamma Viahara MN, USA. on May 25th 2011.
(Translated and summarized into English by U Aung Koe (Dhammapala), edited by U Cintita.)
“Sabba pāpassa akara ṇaṃ, Kusalassa upasampadā, Sacitta parirodapanaṃ, Etaṃ buddhasāsanaṃ.”
Give up all evils, Cultivate all Good, and purify the mind.
This teaching from all Buddha's is actually not intended only for his disciples, that is, for Buddhists, but also for
all sentient beings consisting of mind and matter. It is a universal truth. All beings have six senses which give rise to
consciousness; these are the faculties of eyes, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, which are the only sources of
consciousness.
There are three destinations for the rebirth of human beings; one is ascending, and arises through the
cultivation of good deeds. Another is descending, and results from bad actions, those based on loba (greed), dosa
(hatred), and moha (delusion). The final destination is liberation from the cycle suffering that continues life after life,
that is, from saṃsara.
In Buddhism appropriate attention to the consciousness is important. In Pali this is called yoniso manasikāra .
Any act, whether for good or for evil, is based on thought, in fact, on a decision that arises in the mind. This thought will
tend toward an ascending or descending rebirth. One’s’ mind has the power moment by moment to shape one's life.
Realization of the absolute truth is the most important, but what is the absolute truth? Daily life keeps on
because we act on inputs we receive, perceptions. Those perceptions (vision, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought),
may cause the formation of desires which we may carry out and that will lead us to continue the endless circle of life.
The enlightenment of Buddha enabled him to see through those perceptions are neither solid nor permanent,
so not to dwell upon them. This realization allows individuals to lessen attachment, or craving. Perception may be
pleasant or unpleasant. But by understanding of the causes or underlying reasons for the formation of that perception
will make individuals let go of craving or aversion.
Natural disasters and catastrophes such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, droughts and starvation
around the world point to the Law of Karma, a kind of pay-back mechanism that works according to the intentions
behind deeds. We have some expressions in English for this: “What goes around comes around,” “tit for tat.” and
“He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”
It seems to me that the storm that wiped out in Irrawaddy Delta area a couple years ago must have targeted
people who were earning their living through fishing. Similarly the tsunami, earthquake, flood and nuclear disaster in
Japan and also the rumor about the Judgment Day also illustrate the Law of Karma in reaction to what humans have
done with malice to other sentient beings. Tibetan mediators predict many disasters will happen on the earth as they
see the wave of mischievousness performed by the evil people around the world.
As our Venerable Yaw Sayadaw U Sirindarbivosa points out that, “Our present moment governs our future”.
The present is the creator of the future. Therefore, we all have to perform good deeds with loving kindness in order to
prevent future disaster and to take good care of our future.
Sadhu Sadha Sadhu
(Note: Pilot Sayadaw asked me to translate his Dhamma discourse into English and spread it out
soon after his Dhamma discourse completed)
