Dhamma Talks - Live A Dhamma Life :: Buddhapadipa Thai Temple

The Buddha’s words: Those who live a Dhamma life are happy in two worlds.

Those means monks and lay people who have right understanding of life. In the Buddha’s teaching, there are two kinds of people; those who have right understanding and those who have wrong understanding – the former develops himself, yet the latter does not and just takes life for granted. To live a Dhamma life means, to live ones life according to ones duties. For example, monks have to do what should be done or establish themselves in what is proper to do as regards monastic life and lay people should take responsibility for their duties, for instance a doctor works as doctor, not robber or killer, a teacher works as an educator, not destroyer etc. To be happy in two worlds means to be happy with whatever one has and to be happy in both the material and spiritual world both in the present and the future. This happiness springs from good deeds which are a requisite for the abolishing of fear and suffering in all worlds.

One thing people can see when observing monastic duties is monks going for alms every morning. The Buddha was the best example for his disciples, he went for alms every morning, and so even nowadays anyone who has come into this community has to do this. At the conclusion of the ordination ceremony, the preceptor informs the newly ordained monk of his duties as a member of the monastic order. This is called ‘The four things that should be done in monastic life: walking for alms, wearing patched up robes, dwelling under a tree, and taking care so as to maintain good health.’ To walk for alms is the way by which many monks get their exercise and fresh air in the early morning.

For an example, when the Buddha visited his father, King Suddhodana in the Kingdom of Kapilavattu, for the first time after having left to become a monk, all his relatives gave him warm welcome and had Nigrodharama temple founded for him. At first the old relatives did not pay respect to the Buddha because they thought that as he was younger he should pay respect to them, but the Buddha taught and explained to them that respect did not depend on age, riches or castes but depended on virtue. When the Buddha finished teaching them, they all understood and left the temple. No one invited the Buddha to have breakfast in their palace, not even the King. He thought, “My son will surely come to my palace, he will go no where” and let his men prepare food and seats for the Buddha and his disciples.

In early morning the Buddha and his disciples went for alms as usual from house to house. When the king saw this, he was shocked and rushed to stop the Buddha in the street, saying, “Son, why are you embarrassing me and destroying my dynasty, please do not do this again, you are prince, not a beggar.” The Buddha relied, “Father, now I am no longer a prince, but the Buddha and all the Buddhas before me have always done this. This is the linage of the Noble ones and I follow my linage, not yours”, and taught that monks and lay people should do what they should do according to their duties. They should not get by, by making a living which bothered others. If they were able to do this, they would be happy in two worlds.

Life is duty or work, and that should be done according to its duty. The world is in much confusion now because people do not take responsibility for their work. Many people are selfish and work for their own ends alone; working as little as possible, yet at the same time wanting as much as they can get. It seems that those who acquire more seem to share less. In the Buddha’s teaching, people should take responsibility for their work and share and help each other; working just to work, the reward then arises as a by-product. Everything done should based on generosity, morality, and wisdom and then the world will be happy throughout.
: The path of Dhammapada, Vasin Indasara