Understanding Boonya and Kilesa in Buddhist Teachings : หน้า 8/216

out how to remove it. We are trying to make this book as neutral as possible, because when one comes to understand the reality of these teachings and their applicability, you will find that they are neutral by nature. It just takes some adjusting of the seasoning to help others see them in their true light. Two important Pali Sanskrit terms that are discussed in this book are boonya and kilesa. Both of these concepts may be difficult for the Western mind to grasp, but they are inherent to Eastern Buddhists. While other modern religions have similar philosophies, these two concepts are thoroughly explained here for the Western reader to understand the importance of the roles they play in the central teachings of life. Boonya is a Pali Sanskrit word that is difficult for Buddhist's to define because "Boonya is Boonya"!!!! The term is so ingrained in their local culture that there is no need for people to define it with prose or a formal definition. It is like asking an American teacher to define the word "the" or "blue" in words. However, for the benefit of non-Thai's, our definition of Boonya is "self-generating pure, perfect energy that accumulates as it is performed". [Note: Many people translate boonya, or boon (for short) to “merit”, but merit does not communicate the importance, fluidity or vitality of the word, so we feel that it is important to adhere to the original Pali Sanskrit word for the reasons explained above. Boonya acts as a magnet to attract positive things to our existing lives. There are three main actions that create boonya: (1) Give up bad habits, (2) Perform good deeds, and