Post # 14 - Why  engage in Dhamma Practice? – Punya Kamma - 

Are you visiting this Blog for the first time? It would be good if you could check out the archives and read the 1^st Post to know about this Blog before attempting to read this Post.

Why engage in Dhamma Practice?

Our discussion up to the Post no 13 so far has enabled us to consolidate the knowledge we have on some salient factors of the Dhamma. We are however attempting to agree upon a method to translate this Dhamma knowledge into an effective practice.

We are leading busy household lives and need to know the activities that will yield the optimum benefits given a limited time that we can spare/allocate for dhamma work.

If we make a casual inquiry from people whether they engage in Dhamma work regularly, the answer may likely to be: “I really want to, but the problem is finding the time?" Another might say that - "I do what I can after seeing what others do. But the question is - are they enough?" Yet another would say- "I can spare some time daily but out of the 84,000 dhamma points, on what should I start, to get best benefits?" Still another may say that "I lead a good life and do no harm to anybody, helpful when I can, so what other dhamma is there to practice?” There can be many other responses as well.

To what group do you belong? Would you like this discussion to bring you a useful answer?

Reflecting on Buddha’s own words, where he emphasized on validation-by-experience rather than via hierarchical or scriptural authority gives us inspiration to engage in an appropriate practice. 

Just consider this statement (which could as well have been uttered by a modern day senior scientist, advising junior researchers in his laboratory)  that is  given in the Pali Canon:

 “Just as one would examine gold through burning, cutting, and rubbing, so should monks and scholars examine my words? Only thus should they be accepted, but not merely out of respect for me.”

Once we have consolidated our understanding of some of the salient aspects of the Buddha-Dhamma, based on the discussions in the Blog Posts before this one, we can now agree upon some simple practices that we can engage in, on a daily basis. This way we will realize optimum benefits from limited but quality time that we can dedicate to Dhamma practice.

It is always better to know why we are doing any Buddhist practices at all. Many devotees follow practices based on encouragement from others. It is topical now to refer here, as a case in point, to the 3^rd fetter of the ten fetters that Buddha said should be eliminated, to reach liberation. This fetter is called Silavruta Paramasa (certain rites and ritual practices accepted as right, based on advice of others, which may in reality not be so).  The meaning of the fetter is often misunderstood. Some monks tend to describe Silavrutha  Paramasa as being those painful rituals conducted by certain ancient Hindus as well as those of the Jaina faith, who seem to believe in eliminating sins through suffering.  So if our understanding of this fetter is limited to such explanations, we may well end up following such other practices proposed by others which in terms of Buddha’s teaching fall into a category of unproductive practices. 

The ethical practice of Buddha Dhamma can be grouped for our purpose, into three parts. They are engaging in Punya Kamma (Meritorious Acts), practice of kusala kamma (developing ethical skills) and following the marga prathi padawa (the path of practice to Liberation).

This last part includes the Noble Eightfold Path and Four Foundations (or Establishments) of Mindfulness, together with developing the Right View and the basic meditative practices required for them.

Punya Kamma:- We saw in an earlier blog post, the nature of Kamma as described in Buddha Dhamma. The acts by thought, word or deed conditioned by the will or intent was seen as Kamma. They were either wholesome or unwholesome Kamma depending on the ethical quality of the will or intent. Therefore the Punya Kamma or meritorious acts are those conditioned by wholesome intent. Buddha gave a simple explanation to the 7 year old Rahula on how to understand Punya Kamma. His simple words were something like this- “If an act is helpful to you, helpful to others and helpful for both and brings happiness to both, it is a Punya Kamma”.

Dhamma talks often refer to Dasa Punya Kriya, the ten types of meritorious acts, which  give us  some idea about this subject. In the Pali Language they are referred to as Dana, Seela, Bahawana, Apachayana, Naiyawachcha, Sakki Dana, Pattanumodana, Dhamma Sravanaya, Dhamma Desanaya, Dittivickkama. We may keep these for reference as needed, but can pick out our own choices from the list  for applying in daily practice.  

We saw that giving (dana), in the form of material things is a punya kamma. The offering of sustenance to monks (holy ones) and other offerings we do with right intent at places of worship, are referred to as armisa puja/dana, which are punya kamma. In addition, the giving of dhamma knowledge by different means is dhamma dana and the freeing a being due for slaughter as abeya dana which are also punya kamma. Blood and other organ donations, when possible, are considered as high category dana.

Other forms of punya kamma are helpful acts through words and deeds motivated by compassion and kindness to man and all beings. Acts of gratitude, tending to the sick and disabled, assisting the aged and destitute, are all acts of merit. When these are done to your parents they are ethically the highest in terms of retribution in the future.

These acts by their very nature should appeal to the rational mind as being not within the description of the 3^rd fetter referred to above.

The retribution for such good kamma is known to be the fruits you reap or the endowments you get in this life or in future lives. They are generally good health, wealth, power, wisdom, happiness, longevity, pleasant looks and appearance, regard and recognition from others, getting kindness in word and deed from others etc.

It was seen in earlier posts in the blog, that the good done on these lines in the past are what we are experiencing now as the effects of our good kamma. It also implies that we need to continue acquiring such Kamma for the future, particularly to have a favourable future birth and wellbeing in such births.

There should not be much misgiving now about engaging in punya kamma when the analysis is done in  this way. In this particular human existence, and given our particular circumstances, the opportunity that we have should not be missed without realizing the maximum benefits.

Now the question is how do I engage in such Punya Kamma on a daily basis? How can I commit/dedicate special time and resources for such work? This is a very individualistic choice/decision. You may find out where such things can be done or happening and then you make the required choices how you would act or participate.

The inspiration and satisfaction for most of us is that being good people we engage in most of these actions in our daily life. Most of the time, these are happening in our life without our realization. We do them without being conscious of the potential, and without the required ethical intent.  For some of us that ethical list is in almost full implementation without any special dedication or commitment of time or energy. All that is required is the mindfulness for the ethical content of the intent, and awareness to the act itself to reap the full benefits from them. It is clear therefore that no extra effort and time is needed for most of us to engage in punnya kamma. However we still will be required to engage in special acts or events traditional to Buddhist practice as dana to holy persons, etc. participating in practices in places of worship etc. to reap the full range of benefits from Punya Kamma.

Some small acts like regular contributions to charity or having a ‘piggy bank’ for spare coins which can be later used for giving to charity or to institutions that prevent cruelty to animals or rescue animals from slaughter, are regular punya kamma practices. Although they are small as acts but are very big and noble in intent and therefore has the same benefits as bigger acts of punya kamma.

Although Buddhists are encouraged to seek liberation from Samsara early, the Punnya Kamma discussed above are like the equipment needed enabling suitable births in the next lives until the envisaged liberation is achieved.

Let us discuss the next type of Buddhist practice- engaging in Kusala Kamma, in the next post and the practice for developing the Path to Liberation in the one after .