suddhi asuddhi paccattaṃ - the purity or impurity of ones actions is known by oneself Ajahn Chah - Suffering On The Road. The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah Volume 3 Talks on Renunciation pp193
They Run Around Each Other
Ajahn Chah recommended that we watch ourselves 90% of the time and others 10% of the time; The most outward, or gross aspect of this can be seen in how we use or speech, and to a lesser extent behaviour towards another. But there is always a chance to be misunderstood, one could say or do something and be taken out of context, a belief arises which is taken personally, yet has nothing to do with any person; or an attitude arises which feeds a particular behaviour, yet the behaviour has nothing to do with any personal things. The Noble Eightfold Path (Ariyo Aṭṭhaṅgiko Maggo) are our general guidance in life, the factors of the path do not spell out what to talk about, do, work, or think, but they include these areas. It is a matter of wisely reflecting on what we are doing via body speech and mind which informs us whether what we are doing is correct or not; does an action lead to our own welfare, another, both, or neither? They involve Upright Mindfulness of what is going on, to see if it is in line with Upright Perspective, and Upright Effort to bring it in-line with Upright Perspective. This is Discernment (Pañña) and Focus (Samādhi) working together for us to act virtuously (Sīla).
The Virtue Division of the path (Sīla) is the outward expression of the inward aspect of Upright Intention (Sammāsaṅkappo), and how fully it is, or is not developed shows via our actions of body & speech. If we are using others as an excuse for anything we do, this is an expression of malicious speech (pisuṇāya vācāya) and a form of an intention towards ill-will (byāpādasaṅkappo). The same as praising someone excessively yet ignoring others contributions is a form of praising oneself and disparaging others, as it is self view in the form of taking things as mine (Etaṃ mama eso'ham-asmi eso me attāti. 'This is mine, my self, or what I am'), a wanting to be close to the liked, and wanting to be away from the disliked.
To overcome this requires Upright Mindfulness (Sammāsati) and Upright Perspective (Sammādiṭṭhi) to see clearly what is there, recognise it, and then to apply Upright Effort (Sammāvāyāmo) to diminish and uproot it, and to establish and make firm skilful qualities in their place. These skilful qualities are Upright intention (Sammāsaṅkappo), The intention of renunciation (Nekkhammasaṅkappo) includes restraint due to moral precepts(pātimokkha-saṁvara), sense restraint (indriya-saṃvara), and non-covetousness (anabhijjhālu); the intention of non-ill-will, (abyāpādasaṅkappo) includes the development of friendliness (mettabhāvanā); and the intention towards non-violence(avihiṃsāsaṅkappo) includes the development of altruism (karunabhāvanā).
At the end of the day I may be right, I may be wrong, but I share this hoping I am one, the other, both, or neither.
The Virtue Division of the path (Sīla) is the outward expression of the inward aspect of Upright Intention (Sammāsaṅkappo), and how fully it is, or is not developed shows via our actions of body & speech. If we are using others as an excuse for anything we do, this is an expression of malicious speech (pisuṇāya vācāya) and a form of an intention towards ill-will (byāpādasaṅkappo). The same as praising someone excessively yet ignoring others contributions is a form of praising oneself and disparaging others, as it is self view in the form of taking things as mine (Etaṃ mama eso'ham-asmi eso me attāti. 'This is mine, my self, or what I am'), a wanting to be close to the liked, and wanting to be away from the disliked.
To overcome this requires Upright Mindfulness (Sammāsati) and Upright Perspective (Sammādiṭṭhi) to see clearly what is there, recognise it, and then to apply Upright Effort (Sammāvāyāmo) to diminish and uproot it, and to establish and make firm skilful qualities in their place. These skilful qualities are Upright intention (Sammāsaṅkappo), The intention of renunciation (Nekkhammasaṅkappo) includes restraint due to moral precepts(pātimokkha-saṁvara), sense restraint (indriya-saṃvara), and non-covetousness (anabhijjhālu); the intention of non-ill-will, (abyāpādasaṅkappo) includes the development of friendliness (mettabhāvanā); and the intention towards non-violence(avihiṃsāsaṅkappo) includes the development of altruism (karunabhāvanā).
At the end of the day I may be right, I may be wrong, but I share this hoping I am one, the other, both, or neither.
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