He caught a rabbit and was about to kill it.4. Right ActionRight Action is the practice of abstaining from killing, stealing and adultery.4.1 Abstention from killingEvil actions can be abstained from in any of the following three different ways:1. Abstention on the spur of the moment [sampattavirati];2. Abstention by having requested the Five Precepts in advance [samadanavirati];3. Abstention by having transcended such behaviour [samucchedavirati];The account of the layman called ‘Cakkana’ is a good illustration of abstention from evil on the spur of the moment:Cakkana was ordered by his older brother to hunt and kill a rabbit so that the animal’s fresh blood could be used as a lotion to cure his mother’s illness. He caught a rabbit and was about to kill it. However, when the rabbit cried out in fear, he thought to himself of the folly of kill ing one being to save another. Thinking thus, he released the rabbit-this is an example of thinking that is Right Action on the level of the spur of the moment.Another layman’s story illustrates the abstention from evil by someone who has requested the Precepts in advance:Right Action is the practice of abstaining from killingThere was a layman who had requested the Five Precepts from a disting uished monk before going out to plough the fields. At lunchtime, he released his buffalos to graze, but one escaped into the forest. Taking his machete he followed the buffalo into the forest. However, he was encoiled by a huge pthon grom the feet upwards. At first he thought to hack the snale with the machete, but recalling that he had taken the Precepts he refrained. When the snale started to crush him in his coils, he thought again of killing the snake, but remembering his Precepts he threw down the knife. He thought to himself, that if he should die, at least he would die with pure Precepts. However, by the might of the intention of the layman to lay down his life for his Precepts, his body became hot like a flame, making the snake unable to bear to touch him any more and it uncoiled and made its escape – this is an example of thinking that is Right Action on the level of having requested the Precepts in advance.Abstaining from killing either on the spur of the moment or because of having taken the Precepts in advance are both examples of Right Action on the ‘mundane’ path [lokiyamagga].The following account, by contrast tells us how killing can be abstained from by having transcended the very inten-tions to kill:There was a fisherman called “Ariya” (lit. “noble one”) who lived during the time of the Buddha. As a fisherman, he caught and likked fish every day. One day in meditation, the Buddha saw Ariya’s potential to attain the fruit of stream-entry [sotapattiphala] and went, with a number of other monks to where Ariya was fishing. Seeing the Buddha approaching, Ariya became as hamed of his action and hid his fishing line. When the Buddha arrived, while standing in front of the man, he asked Sariputta his name. “Sariputta”, replied Sariputta. The Buddha then proceeded to ask the name of each of the monks and overhearing, the man wondered whether after asking all the monks’ names, the Buddha would askhis. The Buddha knew what he was thinking and asked the man his name. “Ariya” replied the man. In fact, the Buddha didn’t need to be told the man’s name. The Buddha gave Ariya a teaching that anyone who still harmed other living beings could not be called “nobility comes from not harming other loving beings. Hearing the Buddha’s teaching, Ariy aattained stream-entry and from that day on-wards never killed a living being again.Ariya had transcended the very intention to kill – this example of thinking that is Right Action on the level of transcending evil by a mind that has attained stream-entry.Abstention from Stealing4.2 Abstention from StealingAbstention from stealing on the level of the transcendental [lokuttara] path is illustrated by the account of Khujjutara. Khujjutara was the handmaid of Samavadi and five-hun-dred other courtesans in the court of king Udena:Usually, king Udena would bestow 1,000 kahapanas per day on his courtesans to but flowers for themselves. Khujjutara had the duty to but the folwers for them. Each day she would keep 500 kahapaqnas for herself and bring back 500 kahapanas of flowers to present to the 500 courtesans.One day the florinst had invited the Buddha and the monastic assemble to receive their midday meal at his home and asked that Khujjutara attend to help with the offering and hear the teaching. Khujjutara attended gladly and having heard the teaching, attained stream – entry. From that time onwards, Khujjutara never embezzled money any more. She used the whole 1,000 kahapanas to but folwers for Sammavadi and the courtesans. Seeing that there were more flowers than usual, the courtesans asked Khujjutara whether the king had given her more money than usual.Khujjutara admitted the truth that every day king Udena had given her 1,000 kahapanas for flowers and today was no exception –but in the past, she had used only half the money to buy flowers and had embezzled the rest-so the flowers were few. However, today, having heard the teaching of the Buddha about the harm of stealing which causes people to be reborn as animals, monsters [asurakaya], hungry ghosts or as poor people, or as people whose wealth is always destroyed by taxes, thieves, fire, flood or enemies – there would be no more embezzlement for her. She had used all 1,000 kahapanas to buy flowers and that was why there were more than usual. She asked their forgiveness on this occasion.Having attained stream-entry, Khujjutara could not even tell alie any more and had to tell the whole truth illustrating Right Speech at the transcendental level. Abstaining from further embezzlement, illustrates Right Action also at the transcendental level.They will be the subject of malicious gossip and will hardly be able to find anyone to praise them;4.3 Abstention from AdulteryAbstention from adultery on the level of the transcendental path is illustrated by the account from the Dhammapada of a young man called Khema:Khema was the son of a wealthy banker and was the grandson of Anathapindika as well. Khema had, in a previous lifetime made a beautiful golden flag and placed it as an offering on the pagoda containing the relics of Kassapa Buddha. After making his offering, he had made the wish that he may always appear so beautiful to all women excepting his blood relations, that they all fall in love with him on first sight.Even during his lifetime as khema, large numbers of women were attracted to his charms and this caused him to commit adultery with the wives of many other men. One day, the king’s men caught Khema in the act, arrested him and brought him before King Pasenadi of Kosala. When the king found out that the boy was alsom the grandson of the eminent Anathapindika, for fear that the boy’s behaviour punishment would bring Anathapindika into disrespute, he released the boy instead of executing him. Once released, the boy went back to his old adulterous ways and was caught and released in the same way three times.Subsequently Anathapindika took the boy to see the Buddha to ask him to teach the boy to mend his ways. The Buddha gave the teaching to the effect that:“Those lacking the mindfulness to consider wholesomeness, who comit adultery with the wives of others will bring the following four sorts of suffering to themselves:1. They will suffer extendedly as the result of their misdoing;2. Even if proud of their misdoing, at the same time they will be so full of fear and suspicion that they will be unable to sleep;3. They will be the subject of malicious gossip and will hardly be able to find anyone to praise them;4. They will spend forthcoming lifetimes in hell.Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, khema attained stream-entry, never committing adultery again This example of thinking that is Right Action on the level of ‘transcending evil’ by a mind that has attained stream-en-try.
The Noble Eightfold Path on the Mundane Level # 4
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