Vitthara Sutta (AN5.2): Discourse on Strengths
K.Wong
Purport
Gotama Buddha expounds Five Strengths or Powers by which a genuine Buddhist practioner should train himself or herself. The five strengths or powers are enumerated as follows
- Strength of Conviction or Faith
- Strength of Conscience
- Strength of Concern
- Strength of Persistence
- Strength of Discernment
Conviction
The strength or power of conviction is derived from one’s faith in the Truth discernment or wisdom of knowledge of Gotama Buddha. Gotama Buddha is a Discerner (Ñāṇī) of the ultimate Truth of Reality. He is a practioner of perfect wisdom and virtue. He is a Tathāgata. He is an expert on the knowledge of the world because of his supernormal knowledges (abhiññā). He is a spiritual instructor for both devas and human beings. He is adept at mental appeasement (citta-upasamana) and is truly Blessed. The aforementioned attributes of Gotama Buddha suffice to build a strong Buddhist faith and self-confidence in his teachings.
Conscience
A Buddhist practioner is considered to exercise conscience if and only if he or she is ashamed of committing unwholesome bodily kammas, unwholesome verbal kammas or unwholesome mental kammas. He will feel remorseful if he or she has committed any unwholesome or evil kamma. Directed and empowered by conscience, he does not transgress the Five Precepts (pañcasī̄las). He adheres to the Ten Wholesome Course of Actions (Dasasīlas).
The Five Precepts are refraining from killings or physical violence, thefts, sexual-misconduct, untruthful speeches and intoxications. The Ten Wholesome Course of Actions averts the transgressions of the Ten Precepts of not to kill, not to steal, not to commit sexual misconduct, not to tell lies , not to utter divisive speeches , not to speak harshly, not to gossip , not to be greedy , not to hate and not to be deluded.
Directed and empowered by conscience, he vigilantly executes his or her four foundations of mindfulness (cattāri satipațțhāna) in order to safeguard his six sense doors so that one is not directed and empowered by self-centric ego. The four foundations of mindfulness are supported and invigorated by the universal moral standard of heedfulness expounded in the Aṃbalațțhika Rāhulovāda Sutta (MN) by Gotama Buddha . The Sutta admonishes us that one should act only if and only if that action will benefit both self and others. Any action damaging to others but benefiting oneself is to be averted. Any action damaging to both self and others is to be avoided all together. Such mindset constitutes the motive of the persistent Right Efforts of heedfulness and right mindfulness.
Concern
Concern is worry about the future well-being in the present life or next life. Concern here refers to fear of vexation or anguish caused by retributions of evil kammas. One restrains oneself from committing evil actions through the body, speech and mind because one anticipates the suffering caused by future kammic retributions. Concern is the fear of future punishments for evil actions performed in the present life. To be concerned or worried about the evil kammic consequences restrains a person from committing evils. Concern conditions moral restraint. Moral restrain purifies morality (sīla).
Persistence
Persistence is the determination in sustaining the four right efforts. Firstly, one exercises mindfulness or vigilance to eliminate evil thought that has arisen before one will harm others. Secondly, one exercises mindfulness or vigilance to prevent the arising of an evil thought before it has arisen to harm others . Thirdly, one exercises mindfulness and awareness to sustain a wholesome thought that has arisen and will benefit others . Fourthly, one exercises mindfulness or awareness to develop a wholesome thought that has not arisen to benefit others . This four-fold wholesome effort is Right Effort (Sammā Vāyāma), the 6th training of the Noble Eight Fold Path.
The persistence of these four right efforts can be enhanced and purified by the Right Mindfulness (Sammā Sati) , 7th training of the Noble Eight Fold Path. The most ideal right effort is to annihilate the self-centric ego through skillful execution of the four foundations of mindfulness. The sole goal of religion is to efface self-centric ego which directs and empowers all the sense activities of an ordinary worldlings. All kammic activities are directed and empowered by self-centric ego. Kammas , both wholesome and unwholesome are actions of cankers (āsavas). The liberative goal of Buddhist practice is the destructions of cankers. Buddhist liberation is resulted from destruction of cankers (āsavas).
Discernment
The Truth discernment is the development of insightful wisdom of intuitively penetrating into the Truth of Three Universal Characteristics of Impermanence (Anicca), Suffering (Dukkha) and Insubstantiality (Anattā). These three characteristics mirror the attributes the dynamic process becoming (Santāna dhamma) of the human personality. Dynamic process becoming mirrors microcosm, micro-reality of the human personality. Dynamic process becoming also mirrors macrocosm – the macro-reality of the universe. Whoever discerns microcosm also discerns macrocosm. The process becoming is the ultimate Reality of dependent co-arisen (pațiccasamupanna) Unity or Non-duality (advaya).
Whoever intuitively discerns dynamic process becoming (bhava) of the human personality annihilates the substantial personality view (sakkkāya dițțhi). Thus, the Knower of Truth has intutively apprehended the Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariya Saccāni) . Having intuitively realized the Four Noble Truths, the wise one is self-redeemed and dwells in the inner Heart. The inner Heart is the pure, finite human consciousness. The wise Buddhist has been emancipated from incessant suffering.
Conclusion
These Five Strengths or Powers can be consummated if and only if the strength of intuitive discernment of Truth is consummated . The strength of intuitive discernment of Process Reality produces Right View (Sammā Dițțhi) and Right Thought (Sammā Saṅkappa), the first two trainings of the Noble Eight Fold Path (Ariya Ațțhaṅgika Magga). Right Thought consummates Right Speech, Right Actions, Right Livelihood, Right Efforts, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. In Buddhism , intuitive discernment of Truth is the Right View of Process Reality of dynamic process becoming . Process becoming encompasses the ultimate Truth of Impermanence (Anicca) and Selflessness or Egolessness (Anattā). It is the Right View of discerning the Unity in the multiplicity and the the multiplicity in the Unity. The Unity is the ultimate Truth and the multiplicity is the conventional truth. |
