Meditation for Beginners
 
Reforming society : Conclusions
 
We have to translate the principles into behaviour of body, speech and mind.
  
We have to translate the principles into behaviour of body, speech and mind.
 
In conclusion it can be said that the real reform that is needed to transform society for the better is reform of our own and others’ human nature. Reform of human nature means redefining our core values concerning the world and our understanding of life. In order to bring the knowledge contained in this book to a point where it can really start to help in society, the present author would like to offer the following guidelines as a way to put theory into practice:
 
1. In order to put the knowledge in this book into practice, we must realize that it is more ambitious than we alone can achieve. We have to share this knowledge with others, especially with social organizations and government agencies who can serve to facilitate the social implications of the principles mentioned in this book;
 
2. In is not enough just to know the principles mentioned in this book. We have to translate the knowledge into action and learning activities. We have to translate the principles into behaviour of body, speech and mind.
 
3. In order really to transform knowledge into action, the activities need to have role models. In practice to find a person who is perfect in every aspect of the virtues described in this book is difficult or even impossible. Accepting this, instead we have to associate with one another in a way that will allow us to share and bolster our goodness while at the same time helping us to overcome the bad side of our character. Working this form of association down to a fine art, we will be able to profit spiritually from our associations with others instead of arguing about who is better (‘holier than thou’) or who was better first.
 
Reform of human nature means redefining our core values concerning the world and our understanding of life.
 
Reform of human nature means redefining our core values concerning the world and our understanding of life.
 
4. In order to keep things practical, each person must regard themselves as the centre of the network of good people in the world, They can start to put this action by putting themselves at the centre of the six social groups mentioned in the Six Directions. The Buddha taught the duties in the Six Directions and asked about the purpose of the duties in each of the Six Directions, we find, the essence of the duties is the most efficient ways in which each of the sets of social partners can share their goodness with one another. At root, the objective of all the duties is to bring about positive core values by our interaction with one another.
 
5. In the forgoing book, we have seen how the Buddha has tried to summarize the standard character of each of the social partners in society, whether it be through:
 
- The triangle paradigm;
 
- The sixteen characteristics of the good friend;
 
- The sixteen characteristics of the false friend;
 
The aim of all the groups is to cultivate the Four Qualities of the Householder [gharavasadhamma] because virtues of the Householder appear in oneself, one can say that positive core values in themselves have come to completion.
 
5.Finally, in Buddhism it is said that the wise man is one who puts into practice any new spiritual value he learns. On the contrary, even though fools know the value of a spiritual teaching, they are contented to be the last person to put it into practice, liking to wait for everyone else to adopt the practice first! Similarly with the teachings in this book, if we are to number ourselves amongst the wise, we have to take the initiative in putting all of the teachings mentioned into practice, starting with ourselves and gradually expanding the ideas contained herein in ever widening circles through our nearest and dearest to society at large only in this way can the reforms in our own human nature come to definitively improve the quality of society at large.
 
 

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