Teaching Humility and Modesty through Buddha's Wisdom : หน้า 198/207

teaching ourselves humility and modesty. There may be times when an apology is required. Some difficulties are caused by our own carelessness, perhaps by damaging others' possessions, which can be solved by proper compensation to the owner. However, when each problem occurs, we must put it to an end. The first step is to still our mind by practicing meditation until the mind is at ease. Meditation can help us to clearly see the problem. If we are not sure how the problem occurred, we must not jump to conclusions about its resolution. We should remain calm while we figure out the solution. Some problems cannot be solved immediately and require our patience. The Lord Buddha's Solution There is a chanting that I have heard monks intone every Sunday when I go to the temple. When temple visitors make their offerings to the monks, they are given a blessing in return. The monks will bless with two or three chantings. There is a chant that begins with the Pali word "Bahun," which is simply called the "Bahun Chant." The Bahun Chant recites the right ways to solve problems as taught by the Lord Buddha. There are eight parts to the chants, although there are seven ways. When the Lord Buddha faced serious problems, He successfully solved each one of them. 1) When the Lord Buddha was confronted by the "Māra Chief" (the Evil One) and his troops who intended to prevent Him from becoming enlightened, He solved this problem by recalling the strength of his 30 Perfections, which in Pali is, "The 30 Parami. "12 In this case, He specifically named the 'Pārami of Generosity' which had been accumulated throughout His infinite cycles of rebirth and He spread His loving kindness to all beings. In the end, He defeated the "Māra Chief." In the same manner, if we encounter immense difficulties, we can address them with generosity as well. 2) When the Lord Buddha was confronted by the Alavakā Giant, a demon who was easily angered, He conquered his anger with Khanti (endurance). For example, He endured whatever the Giant demanded or proposed. In the end, the Giant succumbed to the Lord Buddha's endurance, greatly moderating his stubbornness and harshness towards the Lord Buddha. The Giant thought, although he annoyed Him this much, He was still so patient with him. The Giant developed sympathy, realized what he had done to the Lord Buddha, and in the end initiated a conversation with the Lord Buddha. Thus, when we face an angry person the best solution we have is endurance. The Warm Hearted Family 394 The Lord Buddha-The Role Model of Wisdom 12 The spiritual perfections the Lord Buddha had pursued for 20 Asafisheyya (infinite time) plus 100,000 kappa (the great world-cycles). The Warm Hearted Family 395 The Lord Buddha-The Role Model of Wisdom