Some people have compared the Bodhisatta’s renunciation of his life and someone committing a suicide. Please explain how the two are different.

 
Answer
by Venerable Dhattajeevo Bhikku

The first meaning of Perfection is merit. Whenever we do good deeds, we accumulate merits.  Similar to the way electricity is stored in a battery, merits can be stored in our mind. The other special quality of merit is its ability to purify the mind until it is as clear as a crystal or a diamond.

The merits accrued have different qualities. Making merit with a neutral intention will bring merit with certain characteristics, while a higher quality merit will be achieved when one’s life is at stake.  The latter form is called the Perfections.

The second meaning of Perfection is good quality.  When you repeatedly persevere to do good deeds at risk of your own life over many lifetimes, it will become a part of your character.  You will develop an innate commitment of always putting merit before your own life.

To summarize, the two meanings of Perfection are a special quality of merit and the innate commitment of putting merit before your own life.

When someone pursues the Perfections as described while keeping his mind pure, and filled with wisdom and awareness, this person will be in charge of his good thought, speech and action. 

Why do we, the arahants, or Lord Buddha have to pursue the Perfections despite the extreme difficulties? Because as soon as we were born, we possess an “impurity” in our mind! It is similar to the germs we acquire in our body immediately after we are born.  Since we’re exposed to these germs immediately after birth, we need to receive vaccinations.

The Lord Buddha called this impurity of our mind kilesa (defilements).  Kilesa deteriorates our mind bit by bit.  It forces our mind to think negatively with anger, greed, jealousy and delusion. So, do we give up fighting back against it? If we did, we will reap the consequences from our wrong doings and suffer greatly.

Therefore, if you are wise and mindful, you will build up immunity in your mind to fight back kilesa, similar to the way a vaccine fights against diseases in our bodies. The Perfection is the vaccine that will protect us from kilesa in our mind.

The Perfection is pursued with perseverance, a purified mind, wisdom, and full awareness, not recklessness. Committing suicide is different. Not only is it reckless but mindless as well. When a person is trying to kill himself, his mind is very clouded and dark, as dark as black ink or mud! He cannot think of anything. His thoughts are so obscured that he cannot realize how extremely difficult it was to be born a human. It requires accruing merit through an unbelievably long period of time (asankheyya) to be able to be born a human being. It also happened to be the physical form that is most suitable for all kinds of moral acts.

Instead of using this blessing to do good, they resort to excuses because jealousy or depression. They can’t see that all problems have a solution, and because of their desperation, self-absorption and lack of mindfulness, they turn to suicide.

I want to emphasize again that suicide is the result of recklessness and mindlessness, and even mental illness. It must be full of fog and sadness not to realize the value of their lives.  On the other hand, the Perfection is full of happiness and great joy resulting from the perseverance of accumulating merit. The difference between the two is rather black and white. Therefore, everyone must strive to perform good deeds in order to keep our mind pure and clear.

It is advisable to study “the Ten Perfections,” the ten principal virtues practiced by Lord Buddha.

       1. Dana-parami (Generosity) is important in protecting our mind from greed and attachment.

       2.  Sila-parami (Precepts) plays a role in removing hatred from our hearts.

       3. Nekkhamma-parami (Renunciation) means an end of the attachment to the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

        4. Panna-parami (Wisdom) is accumulated by studying in depth the Dhamma.

        5. Viriya-parami (Endeavor) is very useful in many things especially the accumulation of merit.

 

The rest of the Ten Perfections are Khanti-parami (Forbearance or Endurance), Sacca-parami (Truthfulness), Adhitthana-parami (Self-determination), Metta-parami (Loving-kindness), and Upekkha-parami (Equanimity). There are many books written about this topic. You should study it seriously and never think of committing suicide. Its retribution carries over many lifetimes. What a waste that would be. Keep that in mind.