Developing the Best in Oneself : หน้า 168/207

How does one create the very best in oneself? The reader can now appreciate the meaning and significance of a "blessing." Now we come to the interesting question of how a person can develop his/her best qualities. In accordance with Buddhist principles, the human "mind" has characteristics that differ from other living beings in this world. They are: 1) The mind can be trained to have a higher quality. 2) The mind can be rid of evil. 3) The mind can accrue purity. According to these characteristics, if the human mind accumulates only good deeds, it will become blissful and powerful. On the contrary, if it accumulates only evil deeds, it will become dark and evil. Because each individual is constantly accruing both good and evil deeds, one's mind is not completely pure or dark. If it is wholly pure, the person would have an afterlife in a heavenly realm or attain enlightenment and enter Nibbana (Nirvana). If the mind is totally dark, the person would go to a hell realm after death. Because we have committed both good and evil deeds in our lives, we must correct ourselves by eliminating the evil deeds and by doing our best to perform more good deeds in this life. The inability to develop the very best in oneself has root causes that can be divided into major three groups which, as a whole, are called defilements (Kilesa). They are: 1) Greed (or desire) - selfishness, never ending greed, and stinginess. This includes an adult who is greedy and covets others' possessions or a child who is selfish and steals others' belongings. 2) Anger (or hatred) - displeasure, or taken to the extreme, one who is easily offended and causes destruction. This includes adults who are easily irritated and angered or children who have bad tempers. 3) Ignorance (or delusions) - mistaking the wrong for the right view, and vice versa; mistaking the good for the bad, and vice versa. This ignorance causes one to possess negative thoughts, speech, and conduct. This includes an adult who is biased, jealous, and likes to gossip about others or a child who takes drugs, intoxicants, or becomes addicted to the chemicals in paint. These three types of defilements cause one to be incapable of developing the very best in oneself. The more defilements one harbors, the fewer noble qualities one can gain. As a result, no one wants to associate with this type of person or even care for him in sickness. The Warm Hearted Family 334 Blessing Our Descendants The Warm Hearted Family 335 Blessing Our Descendants