Buddhist Philosophy in Economics
Who is the Buddha?
The word
“Buddha” means an enlightened person, one who knows the truth clearly
and uses that truth to enlighten beings so that they can practice it to
be free from all suffering.
The word “Buddha” means an enlightened person, which has two meanings:
1-
An enlightened person who is historically recognized and has been
preserved as a document for humanity. The Buddha was the son of King
Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya of the city of Kapilavastu. When he was 16
years old, he married Queen Yasodhara or Bhimpa. When he was 29 years
old, he had a son named Rahula. At the same time, he set out to search
for the truth. This act took 6 years to achieve enlightenment or
encounter the truth, which is a very mysterious dharma. After
enlightenment, he declared Buddhism, the state of the Dhamma, and
established a Sangha in the world. At the same time, he traveled
everywhere to spread Buddhism for 45 years before passing away and
entering Nirvana at the age of 80.
2- The Buddha had the position of
the only teacher in the world. He fulfilled the ten virtues, which are
all goodness and dignity. Finally, he realized the truth, which is the
supreme dharma in Buddhism, and was recognized as the "Buddha". It was
this Buddha who founded Buddhism.
What is Buddhism?
We all, as
Buddhists, already know that Buddhism is "the teaching of the Buddha."
The word teaching itself is called "Dhamma," which means law, nature,
the sustaining nature, etc. It is not a refuge for prayer, worship, or
the Om mantra, nor does it require Buddhists to worship any deity or
deity.
Translated as “law,” Buddhism is a theory of law, a repository
of universal laws, with articles written as rules and permits with
perfectly valid reasons for beings to follow in order to achieve
happiness in this world, the next, and Nirvana.
Translated as
“nature,” Buddhism is a theory of nature that reveals the truth of
nature: humans, animals, water, earth, fire, wind, air, forests,
mountains, rivers, and seas, all that exist in the world of gods,
Brahma, Yama, and the moon, sun, and stars, so that beings can know and
understand the causes and effects of nature according to their true
nature, which is the most essential issue for life, body, nation, and
the materials around them.
Which means the nature of the world,
Buddhism is a theory that shows good and bad deeds, merit and demerit,
that is, the actions of beings, which are the causes that lead to
happiness, suffering, destruction, and progress in this world, the next
world, and in Nirvana.
On the other hand, Buddhism is a philosophy of
the world, a philosophy that frees beings from ignorance, oppression,
and suffering, especially from birth, aging, illness, and death.
Buddhism is a realist or naturalist religion, true to life and the
world, because Buddhist theory only talks about the truth of nature, the
causes of nature, the movement of nature, and karma. The word nature in
Buddhist theory does not mean the same as in natural science, but
rather has a broader meaning for the entire world.
Therefore,
Buddhism is a world philosophy with a system, a proper object of study, a
unified science and method according to the level of the community,
which is collectively called the Preah Pitaka, the Sutta, the
Discipline, the Abhidhamma, which contains 84,000 Dhammas. The theory in
Buddhism or the Preah Tri Pitaka, which is abbreviated, is called
Dhamma, and this Dhamma is divided into three methods of study:
1- The method of study and training to create excellence in behavior, called sila sikha
2- The method of study and training to create unity of mind, called citta sikha
3- The method of study and training to create intellectual ability, called panna sikha.
These three methods, with the truth of the truth, are summarized in the four noble truths or noble truths: 4 of which are:
1- The truth of suffering, suffering is the truth, and the cause of suffering is the truth, and the cause must be abandoned.
3- The truth of the cessation of suffering is the truth, the truth of the duty to be made clear.
4- The truth of the path is to be practiced to eliminate suffering is the truth, the duty to be developed.
These
eight noble truths are the sum of the 84,000 dhammas. These four noble
truths are Buddhism, a world theory with a profound and vast meaning,
absorbing all the movements of the world. It is true that there are as
many as 84,000 dhammas, but their only purpose is to help solve and
alleviate social problems. According to the economic principles of
Western scholars, the purpose of the economy is to fulfill human needs.
Khravasadhamma
Khravasadhamma
is the dharma or law for householders to hold or act according to.
Householders who are householders always have wives, children, and
grandchildren who are members of their respective families. The members
always have different personalities, even though they are of the same
blood. Some are fun-loving and talkative, some like to joke and joke,
some like to lie to others and use all kinds of tricks, some are honest,
some like to be quiet, not wanting anything excessive that is contrary
to the character of their parents. That is why the Buddha Buddhist
Philosophy in Economics
Who is the Buddha?
The word “Buddha” means
an enlightened person, one who knows the truth clearly and uses that
truth to enlighten beings so that they can practice it to be free from
all suffering.
The word “Buddha” means an enlightened person, which has two meanings:
1-
An enlightened person who is historically recognized and has been
preserved as a document for humanity. The Buddha was the son of King
Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya of the city of Kapilavastu. When he was 16
years old, he married Queen Yasodhara or Bhimpa. When he was 29 years
old, he had a son named Rahula. At the same time, he set out to search
for the truth. This act took 6 years to achieve enlightenment or
encounter the truth, which is a very mysterious dharma. After
enlightenment, he declared Buddhism, the state of the Dhamma, and
established a Sangha in the world. At the same time, he traveled
everywhere to spread Buddhism for 45 years before passing away and
entering Nirvana at the age of 80.
2- The Buddha had the position of
the only teacher in the world. He fulfilled the ten virtues, which are
all goodness and dignity. Finally, he realized the truth, which is the
supreme dharma in Buddhism, and was recognized as the "Buddha". It was
this Buddha who founded Buddhism.
What is Buddhism?
We all, as
Buddhists, already know that Buddhism is "the teaching of the Buddha."
The word teaching itself is called "Dhamma," which means law, nature,
the sustaining nature, etc. It is not a refuge for prayer, worship, or
the Om mantra, nor does it require Buddhists to worship any deity or
deity.
Translated as “law,” Buddhism is a theory of law, a repository
of universal laws, with articles written as rules and permits with
perfectly valid reasons for beings to follow in order to achieve
happiness in this world, the next, and Nirvana.
Translated as
“nature,” Buddhism is a theory of nature that reveals the truth of
nature: humans, animals, water, earth, fire, wind, air, forests,
mountains, rivers, and seas, all that exist in the world of gods,
Brahma, Yama, and the moon, sun, and stars, so that beings can know and
understand the causes and effects of nature according to their true
nature, which is the most essential issue for life, body, nation, and
the materials around them.
Which means the nature of the world,
Buddhism is a theory that shows good and bad deeds, merit and demerit,
that is, the actions of beings, which are the causes that lead to
happiness, suffering, destruction, and progress in this world, the next
world, and in Nirvana.
On the other hand, Buddhism is a philosophy of
the world, a philosophy that frees beings from ignorance, oppression,
and suffering, especially from birth, aging, illness, and death.
Buddhism is a realist or naturalist religion, true to life and the
world, because Buddhist theory only talks about the truth of nature, the
causes of nature, the movement of nature, and karma. The word nature in
Buddhist theory does not mean the same as in natural science, but
rather has a broader meaning for the entire world.
Therefore,
Buddhism is a world philosophy with a system, a proper object of study, a
unified science and method according to the level of the community,
which is collectively called the Preah Pitaka, the Sutta, the
Discipline, the Abhidhamma, which contains 84,000 Dhammas. The theory in
Buddhism or the Preah Tri Pitaka, which is abbreviated, is called
Dhamma, and this Dhamma is divided into three methods of study:
1- The method of study and training to create excellence in behavior, called sila sikha
2- The method of study and training to create unity of mind, called citta sikha
3- The method of study and training to create intellectual ability, called panna sikha.
These three methods, with the truth of the truth, are summarized in the four noble truths or noble truths: 4 of which are:
1- The truth of suffering, suffering is the truth, and the cause of suffering is the truth, and the cause must be abandoned.
3- The truth of the cessation of suffering is the truth, the truth of the duty to be made clear.
4- The truth of the path is to be practiced to eliminate suffering is the truth, the duty to be developed.
These
eight noble truths are the sum of the 84,000 dhammas. These four noble
truths are Buddhism, a world theory with a profound and vast meaning,
absorbing all the movements of the world. It is true that there are as
many as 84,000 dhammas, but their only purpose is to help solve and
alleviate social problems. According to the economic principles of
Western scholars, the purpose of the economy is to fulfill human needs.
Khravasadhamma
Khravasadhamma
is the dharma or law for householders to hold or act according to.
Householders who are householders always have wives, children, and
grandchildren who are members of their respective families. The members
always have different personalities, even though they are of the same
blood. Some are fun-loving and talkative, some like to joke and joke,
some like to lie to others and use all kinds of tricks, some are honest,
some like to be quiet, not wanting anything excessive that is contrary
to the character of their parents. That is why the Buddha The family
practice of the Dharma is presented in the following order. In terms of
Buddhist economics, the order is as follows:
Lessons of the Dharma practice, three benefits
1- Dhamma-based benefits, economics for the present life.
2- Sampra-based benefits, economics for the new life.
3- Param-based benefits, economics for the life of Nirvana.
The
reader should know that the three types of economics, in terms of the
order in which they should be practiced, should be practiced first,
next, and last.
Meanwhile, Buddhism has raised the moral precepts related to the economic precepts for the present life, namely:
The
lower economic precepts are aimed at teaching people to strive to
establish themselves, expand their position to be strong, and be strong
in the economic status, which is to meet human needs. The Buddhist
doctrines that are seen in relation to the economy of each individual,
family or society in general are as follows:
The view of present
benefits, benefits in the present. The Buddha spoke to Tikhajanumana
when he went to bow down and said to him, "I am a householder, a
householder, have children and a wife, and I need to find wealth to
support my family. Please show me some dharma for the householder in the
present, as well as the dharma that should be practiced in the next
world." At that time, the Buddha spoke about benefits in both the
present and the next world.
The view of present benefits (present
benefits) is to prepare oneself to have a strong position to live
comfortably in this world, and to teach one to establish oneself in a
strong economic path with four elements:
1. The pursuit of wealth,
both material and immaterial. Countries in the world have done and are
doing short-term production to increase products that meet needs both at
home and abroad. Production can take place and provide sufficient
products only when there is courage to work hard, then there is food to
meet the needs of the body. For the ancients told us, “Don’t wait for
tomorrow, do what you have to do.” The Buddha taught us: Don’t rely on
six reasons:
1. It’s too early
2. It’s too late
3. It’s too thirsty
4. It’s too hungry
5. It’s too hot
6. Very cold
The Blessed One continued to remind us that
“Viryana, dukkha, matchayeti” “If you want to be free from suffering, you must strive” for all kinds of work.
The proverb of the scientific era is “Strive for nature,..heat, cold, pain” Do not be discouraged.
2.
Arakshasakha, knowing how to save wealth or be thrifty, means saving
money to avoid various troubles and will know how to process and use the
benefits of the wealth that you have. In every country in the world,
there are places for people to deposit their wealth, which are called
banks, so that people can save their wealth. Depositing wealth in banks
is to make wealth safe and to cultivate the benefits of old wealth
(interest).
3. Kalyanamitta, knowing how to associate with good
friends or know how to make bad friends good: this is very important.
Associating with bad people is the cause of all destruction. If you
associate with good people, you can help find happiness in both wealth
and Both in terms of wealth and skills. In a company or cooperative, the
selection of members must only take good and right members, otherwise
they will not achieve results, the cooperative or company will
inevitably collapse.
4. Moderation, knowing how to spend money
appropriately according to the level of wealth or learning to live in a
state of peace or moderation, always meaning that spending wealth does
not exceed the amount earned. If you earn less, spend less, you should
refrain from unnecessary spending and save some for future poverty, that
is, spending not more than your income.
A family, a country, and a
nation that will grow and develop only if you spend your wealth, both on
the part of the family and the part of the nation, must be strict in
what you do not spend and try to use what you produce yourself. Using
only foreign goods that are not necessary will lead to a loss of
national currency.
These four aspects of Dhamma are the basis for
solving life's problems and taking a big step towards progress. But
progress can only be rapid if an economist or businessman has three more
characteristics.
Three characteristics of a businessman
The
Buddha showed three characteristics of a businessman to become wealthy,
rich, and loved by many people to avoid some views that the Buddha
taught people only about karma, merit, and demerit, and that most of his
followers were poor. In some cases, the Buddha expressed the virtues in
doing business, such as selling, clearly stating that if a seller has
three characteristics, they will definitely get high profits. In order
for their business to run smoothly, the public should follow the
direction of the three virtues, namely:
1. Wise, intelligent, with
good eyes or bright eyes, especially those who know the rules of
economics and trade, that is, they know how to sell, buy, and sell in
order to get high profits. In particular, it is knowing and being
skilled in business, how to make a profit, how to make a loss, knowing
the times, such as knowing the seasons of each occupation. Knowing the
places to sell, that is, where it is sold at a high price, where it is
sold at a low price, and knowing the needs of the people in each place,
what they need to buy, what they need to buy, and so on.
2. Behavior:
A person who is diligent, diligent in the work he is doing, not
delaying beyond the time of the occupation and the needs of the people.
น. A person with technical thinking, cleverness, such as buying things at a low price and selling them at a high price.
3.
Sanatho is a person with many resources, a person who is popular with
many people, has many friends, and is able to convince people of all
walks of life. He has faith and trust, and is willing to fight to the
death together. If he has these three qualities, he will always bring
wealth to those who follow him.
If he has these qualities, he must strive to avoid shame, which is the cause of the destruction of wealth.
Avoiding shame (the cause of the destruction of wealth) 4 things
1. Refraining from sexual intercourse
2. Refraining from drinking alcohol
3. Refraining from gambling
4. Refraining from associating with bad people without educating or training them well.
These
four things were revealed by the Buddha to teach people to be careful
not to allow themselves to fall into harm. Every person, even in the
whole country, no matter how much wealth and fortune they have, if they
are only interested in women, alcohol, gambling, and factions, they are a
very corrupt person and will see the results of destruction. Because
these four causes cause a lot of destruction of wealth and time. For
example, if a man is infatuated with a certain woman, he will always go
to her and take her wealth to please her. Over time, he will become a
diplomat and give up his job. If a government official sometimes goes to
work and sometimes does not go. Finally, there is no advancement in
position, sometimes he can compete with others because of that woman.
Finally, wealth, fame, and reputation will be destroyed and he will
become a person without hope in life.
If we can practice the above principles, we will definitely have four kinds of happiness as follows:
The four kinds of happiness of the household
1. Happiness comes from having wealth
2. Happiness comes from spending wealth
3. Happiness comes from being debt-free
4. Happiness is born from working for free or doing business without guilt
These
four characteristics demonstrate the importance of the economic
element, namely, having wealth through one's own efforts, spending one's
wealth without being in debt, doing business properly according to
economic rules, not violating state laws, not oppressing others. Those
who have wealth are always calm, using their wealth to support their
family, and are always happy without having to borrow money from others.
And the teacher will definitely be wealthy. On the contrary, a family
that is wealthy will not last long because of four reasons.
A wealthy family will not last long because of four reasons:
1- Things are lost and not found.
2- Old things are dilapidated and cannot be repaired.
3- Not being prudent in using wealth.
4- Having a man or woman with no morals in the family.
The
above four are the causes of destruction. No matter how wealthy a
family is, if the people in that family lack economic wisdom or lack
morality, do not care about lost things, damaged things can be repaired
and used again, do not bother to let them go, use their wealth
carelessly, especially the head of the family has no manners, order
(morality), and will only lead to further destruction.
Not only the property is furniture, even non-furnished things such as houses, land, etc. are also in danger.
In the kalpa ritthit Parimitabanabhojna knows the limits of eating and using.
4. The supreme moral establishment appoints people with morality to be the head of the household.
The
house is like a society and like a country. When there are bad leaders,
the house, society, and country will inevitably be destroyed.
The
Buddha tells the story of the misfortunes and happiness of a householder
who has been managing a family for a long time. Whatever he does, he
shows people how to manage their affairs, but it is an economy related
to morality. It is said that people will become people with good
morality only if they have food to provide for their physical needs.
Human morality is very difficult to exist if each person's personal
economy is not developed or is not conducted in a dignified manner. That
is why the Buddha taught people to emphasize economics.
Please note
that the economic essence of the current benefits of the first Buddha,
namely, striving to do business to create wealth, is the primary
economic essence, which is Production.
Because economics was born
after Buddhism, about a thousand years ago. The second essence is
knowing how to save the wealth that has been acquired, and it
corresponds to the essence of saving wealth.
The third essence is
knowing how to be friends, being honest, being smart, and thinking of
helping each other. This essence is comparable to organizations,
communities, and cooperatives that need to select individuals with high
ideals among their members to lead as a group of governors or a board of
directors within the framework of developing the lives of members by
adhering to the common good. The last essence is to use and spend wealth
to suit one's status or live only on that which in economic terms is
called the House hold budget, which is translated as the family budget,
for private individuals. If the state is called
The nation economic
budget, which is translated as the national budget. In short, it comes
down to examining the balance between income and expenditure, in
accordance with the Buddhist concept of balanced life, which is stated
in the Dhamma, for the benefit of the present.
The Buddha Our Master,
the Buddha, has explained five types of business that all Buddhists
should refrain from and should not engage in:
1- Sattavaññāja,
dealing in weapons for killing, namely making the weapons themselves or
having others make them or obtaining them for some reason and selling
them.
2- Sattavaññāja, dealing in people, namely people should not
trade other people to become slaves of someone else or to serve their
sexual desires or in any other form. All people have the same right to
live freely.
3- Māmsavaññāja, dealing in meat, namely raising
animals, such as pigs, and when those animals grow up, killing them and
selling their meat.
4- Majjāññāja, dealing in intoxicants or drugs,
namely mixing any substance to become intoxicants yourself or buying
them and selling them.
5- Vishvanijja, dealing in poisons or poisoned
drugs, is arranging poisons to be produced by oneself or having them
mixed or obtained for any reason and selling the poisons or poisoned
drugs.
These five types of business should not be engaged in by
laymen, laywomen, and Buddhist monks because they cause insecurity and
unrest. The trading of these five types of business is called mixed
business or mixed business, which is contrary to the right business.
The
dharma that brings about these four benefits to a person will bring
prosperity and success to that person in this present life immediately.
These
dharma are the source and a solid foundation for cultivating and
sustaining global organizations, state organizations, and individual
family organizations to develop and prosper. If any of these dharma is
lacking, those organizations will inevitably be in trouble. In each
state, there are many organizations such as economics, society, and
politics. In the economic sector, such as industry and commerce, if all
the leaders in the world lack dharma, the first is laziness, not making
efforts in matters of duty, busy with each other, jealous of each other
for personal gain, not trying to keep industry and commerce up to date,
the economy cannot be immortal because there is still lying, corruption,
theft, embezzlement, bribery, and confusion in the course of life. It
is necessary to study and create classes to reach the level of moral
education, to study according to the path of truth, in the third,
fourth, and fifth stages, namely right speech, right action, and right
conduct, for many years until the moral education is noble and pure,
which is called noble character. If there is a lack of talent and a lack
of talent, there is waste, there is no control over the place, there is
always a lot of work, one person relies on another, still in the
office, relying only on paper and lists, the results of industry and
trade will be damaged, and the economy will decline.
If there are
these two dharma, but the third dharma is good friends, there are
dishonest people in the relationship with the seller, the buyer, there
is fraud and deception for some reason, or there are corrupt colleagues
who are in league with the buyer or seller, causing damage to the
results of the industry and trade, the economy will decline.
If there
are enough dharma 1, 2, and 3, but the fourth dharma is samjhivat,
there is more expenditure than income, through waste or using too many
employees due to inefficiency, which is an act that is done by only one
person, we have 4 or 5 people, and it is not good anymore, or we buy too
many items to get a percentage from the seller, while there is not
enough money to buy other things, which leads to disruption of the
process of industry and trade, the economy will decline.
When the
economy declines because of one's own incompetence or because one is
wicked and tries to raise the price of goods to counter it, it will
cause even greater harm to society and consumers. This view of morality
has a broad meaning for all the affairs of the world, as the small point
above has already been brought to the fore.
(Work that is useful
should be done, knowledge that is scarce should be practiced,
unhappiness that is in oneself should be abandoned, and business that is
profitable should be traded.)
Buddhist Economic Philosophy
Economics
is a branch of knowledge that studies the physical growth (material
growth) of humans. First of all, Buddhism is a theory oriented towards
spiritual growth. Although economic stability plays an important role in
daily life, Buddhism does not promote or encourage material growth
because Buddhism teaches that everything is subject to change and is not
permanent. For this reason, some people believe that Buddhism is a
religion that does not contribute to economic progress and sows a
pessimistic approach to the material development of the world.
The
following are arguments in support of their view: 1- Buddhism is a
religion that helps to make our lives in the next world happy and does
not help to make our lives in this world prosperous.
2- Buddhism
recognizes that this world is full of suffering and sorrow. Buddhism
teaches a doctrine that helps to eliminate desires, which leads to the
achievement of worldly progress.
3- The doctrine of "karma" in Buddhism is a barrier to the achievement of desires in this life.
4-
The doctrines related to renunciation of worldly pleasures and the
doctrines of living a simple life are obstacles to economic progress.
Because
of this and the misunderstood, misunderstood, or ambiguous teachings of
some of the facts contained in Buddhism, it has been declared that
there is no economic philosophy in Buddhist theory. But when we examine
this view, we come to the personal opinion that in the Dhamma that
Buddhism teaches, there are many words related to the clear philosophy
embedded in Buddhism regarding the individual in the socio-economic
sphere.
No commentary on the Nowhere is it said that all the good
principles taught in Buddhism are set in a framework or lead to a goal
that ends only in the attainment of auspicious results in the next life.
Liberation from the cycle of birth and death, which is the ultimate
goal of Buddhism, can be achieved in this world directly if one strives
hard to achieve it. The Pali phrase “Dhammacari sukhum seti, asmi loke
parantek” means that a person who leads a right life always lives
happily in this world as well as in the next. This means that the
happiness granted in the next world depends entirely on living a right
and fruitful life in this world. Furthermore, there is no teaching in
Buddhist doctrine that suggests that one must suffer in this life in
order to enjoy happiness and prosperity in the next life. In the same
way, the Buddha pointed out that all suffering in this world is not due
to the influence of any deity, but is the result of one's own actions.
On the other hand, Buddhism also clearly states that in order to
overcome all suffering and stress in life, one must work hard and have a
strong will.
When referring to karma, it is pointed out that this is
not the only reason that affects human life on this earth. But karma is
only one such influence. There is no point in thinking only about
karma. Will and will should be given higher priority than karma. This is
what the Buddha taught his disciples on various occasions.
The
philosophy of suffering as enshrined in Buddhist theory, karma, and the
teachings on the hereafter is not a barrier to economic development,
either individually or collectively.
Now let us examine the practical
economics that Buddhism teaches us through its philosophy for
successful living. The Buddhist economic philosophy, unlike modern
economic principles, does not give importance only to material progress,
but also focuses on the inner intellect of the individual.
Economics
is the science that determines how the economic needs of the physical
body of man are met in order to make man happy. The clear theory in this
world is that “the resources of the world are limited, while the
economic needs of man are unlimited.” This theory is also stated in
Buddhism. In the Rattapalā Sutta of the Madhyamaka Nikāya, it is
mentioned that the people of this world are not perfect and that they
are not happy. They are slaves to desires. Western economists, who have
raised the issue of limited resources and unlimited wants, have seized
this opportunity to encourage consumers to consume more and more.
Although this system is necessary for a capitalist economy, those with
few needs see that the powerful and privileged are destroying resources,
creating more and more economic problems. Buddhism supports the view
that a simple life will help us use limited resources properly and solve
the economic problems created by our unlimited wants and desires.
When
it comes to Buddhist economic philosophy, the views expressed in the
Buddhist theory of resources have become important perspectives. The
criterion by which a person’s wealth can be measured is money. Money is
used as a means to satisfy material wants and desires. Accordingly,
Buddhist theory also accepts the view that in order to live a life of
abundance, One should accumulate wealth in four stages. Buddhism speaks
of the development of a person. One such opportunity is the opportunity
to enjoy happiness. The Buddha also stated that wealth thus accumulated
should be accumulated by hard work, and wealth thus acquired should be
protected so that some of it is not wasted. This is stated in the Sutta
of the Buddha and the Singhalavada Sutta. In the philosophy of Buddhist
theology, the manner in which wealth should be accumulated and how money
should be spent is clearly explained in Buddhist texts. According to
the Singhalavada Sutta, the money saved should be spent first on food,
clothing, housing, medicine, etc., so as not to cause hardship. In the
same sense, the Buddha described in his teachings that the fact that a
person spends his money on his needs and necessities... should make him
feel that he has spent his money to attain happiness and that his wealth
is being used for a good cause. This should give him both mental and
physical happiness. There, the Buddha explained that the money saved
should be spent for his own benefit as well as for the benefit of those
under his care and those living with him, so that they do not suffer
from hunger. The form of money saved How to spend money is discussed in
the Apulekha Sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya.
In this view, it does not
mean that Buddhism discourages people from spending their hard-earned
money on daily needs. Instead, Buddhism promotes the view that wealth
should be consumed for one’s own benefit as well as for the benefit of
others. Thus, Buddhist philosophy encourages production. But what we
must remember is that Buddhism does not approve of the accumulation of
wealth without limits. The way in which production should be encouraged
is not only through consumption but also through investment analysis.
This view is clearly concluded by the statement that two-quarters of the
money saved should be invested or saved for future use, deposited in a
bank, etc. Although there are many ways in which money can be invested,
the current line of thought tends to support the view suggested by
Buddhist theory. But it is clear that the Buddhist approach to
investment and the pursuit of wealth is different from the techniques
prescribed in modern economics. When accumulating wealth or investing in
various businesses, the idea of what is right or wrong is not
clarified by Western economic philosophy. The goal is only to make a
profit. On the contrary, according to Buddhist economic philosophy,
making money unfairly, by means of deception, and by means where the
window of social benefit is not taken as the right way to make money.
There are many references to the pursuit of wealth:
For example:
dhammen dhammalatha “money earned by right means” seta vakti tehi “money
earned by sweat and labor.” This view was approved and supported by the
Buddha.
“Labor” is another aspect of production according to
economics. Even in Buddhist economic theory, labor plays a very
prominent role, and it has been shown that when high wages are paid to
workers, production increases continuously. The Buddha constantly
criticized those who only think about making profit by exploiting labor.
In the Singhalavada Sutta, the Buddha clearly states that labor should
be properly remunerated and that incentives (tea money, etc.) - etc. -
should be given in a proper manner to the workers. The work assigned to
the workers must be work that the workers can do or can perform.
When
one considers the national level - and not the individual level or the
individual level or the organizational level - the factors that
contribute to economic progress seem to be already stated in Buddhist
economic philosophy.
The Buddha rightly considers that the poverty of
a country is caused by some imbalance that may exist in the
distribution of wealth. If all the wealth in a country is held by only a
limited section of society, urgent corrective measures must be taken.
Because that situation can lead the country to poverty.
Similarly,
the Buddha in the Chakravati Sihana Sutta addressed this topic and
stated that the government's duty is to provide capital for
entrepreneurs to invest money in the business of various enterprises.
The government should also provide convenience to farmers,
industrialists, etc. According to economic theory, taxes are an
important source of income for the government. The government uses that
income for welfare and development work. Buddhism, while accepting this
ideology as a principle, also expressed a Buddhist perspective on this
topic. The Buddha, when he gave a sermon to the "Licchavi" king, stated
that collecting taxes improperly is wrong and that taxes must be
collected by the government from the people without adding to the burden
of the people with the burden of taxes in the same way that bees suck
honey from flowers without damaging or harming the flowers. The Buddha
also said that it is the duty of the people to pay their taxes on time
and without concealing the information about the tax payment. The word
“rajapali” is used to denote the tax that must be paid to the state.
So
we see that Buddhism, because of its clear economic philosophy, can be
considered not only as a theory that talks about the next life, but also
as a theory, a religion that talks about the ways and means for the
further development of society and individuals. The Tripitaka is full of
teachings that prove that Buddhism is not only about the next life, but
also helps individuals and society to live a prosperous life in society
because of the clear economic philosophy that is present in the entire
Buddhist theory.
By Bellanwila Wimalaratana in Buddhism Society and Environment
Translation: Chhan Iam
Yo
ca vassatna jive kosito hina viryo ekaham jivetam seiya viriyam
araphatna A person who is lazy and lazy. With weak efforts, even if he
lives for a hundred years, it is not as good as living even one day of a
person who is strong and diligent.
(Dhamma)
Attanameva pumtam
padirupe nivesaye athana manusasaseya n kilesabaiyya bantho. One should
first establish himself in proper virtue, and then teach others, so that
it will not be difficult.
(Dhamma)
Hinam dhamma sevayya pamatena n
samvase miccadithina n sevayya n siya Lokavadhana . One should not
commit lowly deeds, should not live with insults, should not hold wrong
views, should not live just to narrow the world.
(Dhamma) The view of
the lower benefits is the lower benefits, the four qualities that have
been mentioned, and this is the work that must be practiced in order to
create happiness in the present and in the future in old age. In this
very nature, consider the lower benefits as the foundation to be a
stepping stone for further reaching the higher benefits.
If only the
lower benefits are not fulfilled well, what ability will there be to
grasp the higher benefits! Therefore, do not have the thought of looking
down on these lower benefits because they are the manifestations of the
Buddha.
May everyone know the benefits according to the things that
have been mentioned and act accordingly in order to achieve the
happiness that they desire.
(Kharasavasdharma Lesson, Three Benefits - Pitakathakatha No. 48, Sandhana, Pages 251-259)
Khmer proverb
Taktchae Penh Phut, Explanatory essay
This proverb has the following meaning:
“Tak”
is the sound of dripping water. “Phut” is a round, long, hollow object
with a mouth and a bottom for placing other objects. For example, a palm
water pipe, a pipe for pouring palm water. (Khmer dictionary)
“Taktchae
Penh Phut” means to be frugal, to do something slowly, with
perseverance, patience, and effort until you get the full result.
What does this proverb teach?
Khmer
ancestors wanted to teach men and women to be patient and to do
something slowly, from a small amount, without forcing or rushing to get
results too quickly.
This proverb teaches sons and daughters to
strive to learn, work, or earn a living with patience, tolerance,
frugality, and to overcome obstacles, not to give up easily. Do
something by starting with little and working hard. Do this, and you
will surely succeed in the future.
How does this proverb relate to Khmer culture?
From
the time of our ancestors to the present, Khmer people have many
examples of people who have persevered, tried, and worked hard to
overcome obstacles until they succeeded. In the Khmer literature, the
story of Kolap Pailin, the male character named Chao Chet, who only has
the status of a diamond miner, is a hardworking, patient, and thorough
worker. Chao Chet works hard until his boss is satisfied, and his boss's
bride is also satisfied with Chao Chet. Chao Chet's accumulation of
good deeds, hard work, and perseverance make him achieve his dream. In
the end, he gets Khun Naray as his wife. He becomes the daughter-in-law
of the owner of the diamond in Pailin province. As the Khmer proverb
says, “Strive to succeed” or “Be patient, don’t be lazy, otherwise you
won’t get what you want.”
There are many people in the world who show
examples of working hard from small to high, going through many
failures, but never giving up until they achieve great success. For
example, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Thomas Thompson, Jack Ma, etc., etc.
They all started slowly, saving money from small amounts, and going
through countless obstacles. They all overcame difficulties to achieve
victory and fame to this day. We have all seen and are using the
achievements that come from hard work.
Comment
All work, whether
small, large, or small, is based on a clear goal: to struggle and strive
little by little, without giving up on what they are doing, and finally
succeed as desired. Seeing this, the Khmer ancestors raised a proverb
as a piece of advice to future generations: "Taktae penh tup".
How does this proverb embody the ideals and content?
To
make it easier to interpret the above proverb more clearly, it is first
necessary to understand some key words, such as "tup" and "taktae!"
etc. The word "tup" refers to a container for carrying water, which can
be made of bamboo or resin, especially for carrying water, while
"taktae" means the sound of dripping water. Through the entire proverb,
one can see the literal meaning as referring to the drops of water that
gradually become a full tube of water, like a struggle, and finally
achieve the desired result.
Of course, those who succeed never give
up, those who give up never succeed. All jobs always have obstacles. The
important thing is to be patient, endure fatigue, and endure hardship,
but this does not mean avoiding work, but must always do it until the
last breath. In fact, there are twenty to thirty students in a class,
but the number of successful students is very small, and most of them
are mediocre, weak, and have difficulty competing with the strong peers
around them. Excellent students are those who have worked hard from the
beginning, accumulating all the knowledge they have learned from
teachers, friends, relatives, and people around them. They have absorbed
all these things with the utmost care, without being distracted by the
game of women and wine. People are never born successful immediately,
and students are the same, all of them rely on this ability to work
hard.
In addition, it is observed that many rich or billionaires can
succeed because they refuse to give up on the obstacles in front of
them. They have broken through with their sharp determination. For
example, Bill Gates, Jack Ma, and Steve Jobs were able to achieve their
achievements by being creative and having experienced failure over and
over again. In the end, their struggle also achieved satisfactory
results and made people around the world write endlessly and are worth
emulating.
Of course, if you look at Khmer literature, it is even
clearer. For example, in Kolap Pailin, a work written by Nyok Time, it
is reflected Through the actions of the character Chao Chet, who is only
a diamond miner, Chao Chet never hates work, even under the hot sun,
Chao Chet dares to sacrifice his strength to work with all his heart and
with great care. Moreover, Chao Chet even secretly loves Khun Naray,
the daughter of his father. Chao Chet's desire has not faded. Finally,
Chao Chet achieved both work and success in love. These all come from
patience and knowing how to work slowly from the first step to the last
step, which makes Mr. Luang Rattanasam and Khun Naray very satisfied.
According
to the above explanation, it is more clear that every task or plan must
be done in the first step, slowly, not too hastily, so that the fruits
of love will be pleasing to the heart.
Through the above simple
explanation, it can be concluded that this proverb really embodies many
educational values, which cultivates everyone to be careful and patient.
As a student, as well as all Cambodian citizens, we should be able to
study hard and work hard, so that we will have no regrets in life.
An
ancient Khmer proverb says: “Tak tại phận tốp!”. What is the
educational meaning of this proverb? Khmer ancestors want to teach us:
There are some things we need to be patient. For example: You learn to
swim. You can’t learn in one day. But if you try every day, you will be
able to swim one day. Therefore, don’t lose hope and be patient in
everything you do in life. Be patient and try!. Efforts to benefit the
public both in the present and the future, or to benefit each individual
to come into being. Pathānak translates as effort, trying to benefit
the public both in the present and the future, or to benefit each
individual to come into being, is called pathānak.
The word that is a
verb has many types, such as the word viryā, which translates as
courage, power, and the ability to strive to fulfill the benefits to the
end. Paragkam: means to move forward without slowing down, even if
there are obstacles: no matter how much they hinder, you will not be
excited, trembling, or shocked. Ussah: means to have patience,
perseverance, and determination to do everything. Udana: means to give
up laziness and get up and start working without getting tired. Mada:
means to burn the heat or pull the things that cause defilements to come
out of the mind. Chitta: means to have a strong and determined zeal for
everything. Athitam: means to do something that happens at the right
time and does not wait, does not hesitate, does it immediately, does not
let time pass. Appadivani: means to do something that has not been
completed, does not retreat, does not give up on that task.
Writing: Effort, Success, Part 1
In
this world, people always want a good life full of happiness. But in
life, everyone always has obstacles that prevent them from achieving
success. Difficult problems and situations occur in a hurry, making
people almost give up. For those who have a strong spirit and
determination, they do not give up halfway. They only strive to overcome
small and large obstacles little by little, even if they are tired and
exhausted, they will persevere and try their best until they achieve the
expected success. Therefore, there is a saying that (Perseverance leads
to success).
(Speaker: One saying that (Perseverance leads to success). Explain with examples from society and literature.)
What does this proverb mean?
To
help explain the above statement clearly, it is necessary to understand
the meaning of the words perseverance and determination first. Striving
is the effort to strive hard. The word determination refers to the
result of a desire. The meaning of the speaker wants to show that a
person's perseverance in the work he wants will definitely meet success.
Of
course, effort is a powerful act that will make your wishes come true.
This is because perseverance is a unique strength and has the power to
solve problems and break down obstacles. As we know, every task that
people do cannot immediately achieve the desired results. Sometimes it
takes a long time, sometimes it fails or the results are not as desired.
Therefore, only by trying as much as possible, little by little, from
little to more, exploring good ways, experimenting, practicing, and
being full of confidence, whether sooner or later success will come, do
not despair at all. The benefits of all efforts are determined to make
life strong, the future is prosperous, and the nation is also
prosperous. In fact, some students who want to become professors,
teachers, doctors, engineers, each one strives to be tireless, sometimes
encountering difficult life, lack of funds to study, competitive exams,
encounter failure, almost giving up hope, but because of perseverance
and faith, they finally achieve the goal of obtaining the skills they
want to become civil servants and have a very comfortable life. While
some individuals start from small roles, day by day they strive to do
their work with care. After many years, they develop themselves higher
and get better positions as managers, CEOs, and have a very large
salary. For farmers, farming encounters all kinds of obstacles and takes
a long time to get results. Some years, suffering from crop damage by
floods or pests, they have to struggle again until they get satisfactory
results. Looking at the literary work Kolap Pailin by the writer Nhok
Thayem, he shows a life of struggle The orphaned Chao Chet has a
commendable level of effort. Chao Chet strives to study to the level of
Prakas Niyaptra. When his father died, Chao Chet lived alone. After
receiving advice from a good doctor, Chao Chet went to work at Mr. Luang
Rattanasambat's house as a jade worker. This work requires physical
strength to withstand the heat and rain. Chao Chet does not complain and
is honest and knows how to help Neang Khun Naray. Mr. Luang
Rattanasambat makes the two see the ability of the mind and
perseverance. Neang Khun Naray, who used to hate Chao Chet before,
turned into love and was happy to share a life with Chao Chet until the
end of his days.
Writing: Effort, Success, Part 2 (End)
The story
of Tum Teav, the literary work of the monk Som, also has content related
to effort. Tum Bos studied since he was a child at Wat Vihear Thom,
striving to learn the profound knowledge of education. In addition to
studying numbers, Tum learned to read until he was proficient in the
skills and received the title of the king. If there was no mother to
hinder his happiness, Tum would certainly live in peace and prosperity.
In the ancient literature, the story of the Mahavesant Bodhisattva, the
character of the Vesant Bodhisattva, has one desire: to become
enlightened as a Buddha to save all people from suffering and go to
Nirvana. He had to save his life by donating five kinds of alms: wealth,
body, life, children, and wife. Among these great alms, it was not easy
to fulfill, and he had to face many conflicts. For example, when he
donated an elephant and five dragons to the people of Kalinga, it
angered the people of Srei Pirastra and drove him out of the kingdom.
Vessantara followed the people without regretting the kingdom and
traveled to Mount Kirivangat, willing to endure all kinds of hardships
without complaining until the people stopped being angry and invited him
to come and reign. All the great donations yielded results for him to
become the Buddha as he had desired. Speaking of the story of the
Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva was born with only one purpose: to practice
virtue and avoid the sin of killing. After hearing that his father had
sentenced the four thieves to death so severely, the Bodhisattva seemed
afraid that when he grew up, he would be sentenced to death as a king
like his father. He also made himself deaf and mute for fifteen years.
Once a year, his father had him tested to see if the Bodhisattva would
be free from his disability and be able to reign. But the Bodhisattva
did not move or feel anything. The father also ordered the chief to bury
the royal child outside the palace. After losing his power, he rose up
and went to build a house to fulfill his dream. Finally, in the folk
tale of a husband and wife who spread the sea water, the characters of a
husband and wife spread the sea water to get gold, diamonds, and glass
beads according to their dreams. Both the husband and wife tried to
spread the water little by little until the sea water was about to
overflow. The frightened fish stopped the husband and wife and gave the
husband and wife a large amount of diamonds and glass beads to enjoy for
the rest of their lives. In short, effort is sure to be successful.
Whatever work there are always obstacles as long as people strive to
succeed because what people achieve always starts from patience, using
both physical strength, intelligence, and time until they get the
desired results.
Through the explanation above, we can conclude that
the main idea mentioned really has a profound meaning, not only does it
imply a high educational value. Everyone wants success in life, and no
success comes without effort. Therefore, if people want a better life,
they must struggle against all obstacles and never give up hope. Then
life will surely bring happiness.
Efforts are successful
“There is a mouth to speak, hands to do, and feet to walk.” This is true (Satyanamut).
Although
creating an account on the Internet is easy, but if it is lost due to a
bad person, now I feel sorry for the loss of my dear and beloved
friends with whom we used to communicate every day. But even so, I still
have hope and look for those friends again. Whatever I used to do, I
have to try harder, but try to do it in a way that is suitable for the
Buddha’s theory that “Efforts are successful, but do not try in the
wrong way.”
Efforts are successful as desired
Definition: Saving little by little can achieve your goals.
Commentary
All
kinds of work are born from all efforts, because if you don't try, you
will definitely not reach your goal. In addition, effort is the root of
all decisions and all intentions. Even studying takes effort as a result
to reach and grasp the desired decision.
In this sense, he also thinks that making alms should also be done gradually until you achieve the desired result. For example:
• A small termite tries to collect dust and pile it up in one place, and over time it forms a large pile.
• A sculptor tries to carve a stone slab little by little, and eventually it appears in various images that suit your purpose.
• A poor man tries to save money little by little, and over time he becomes a big businessman.
• A young man tries to study hard until he becomes a doctor.
💡 Wow! Analyze the proverb, because although it is easy to read and understand, the meaning is very good. 🙏🏽🤍
The phrase “Don't spend according to your desires”
Of
course, people's desires have no limits. We see some people who spend
within limits, because they can control their income. He knows his own
needs because he knows when he has nothing, he knows when he is hungry
when he is short of food, he knows that money is earned with difficulty.
Another old saying goes, “People and money, giants and meat.” This
person’s desires can even consume a giant. That’s why he says, “Don’t
spend according to your desires,” especially for young people who are
spending their parents’ money. Because if our lives are not as
comfortable as theirs, in line with modern consumer goods that are
produced to appeal to people’s emotions, and we spend according to our
desires, it is clear that it is delicious for a moment, it satisfies our
emotions for a moment, it is delicious for a moment, and then tomorrow
or the day after tomorrow we have nothing to eat, or even if we have
food, we eat it to the last drop. Sometimes there are urgent matters,
such as illness, or other problems. How can we solve them without using
money? So the same saying goes, “Don’t spend according to your desires.”
The phrase “Don’t want to follow only one person”
Whatever
you want, whether it is positive or negative, wanting to follow only
one person is risky. If you want to learn from this and that, you need
to look at how many subjects you can divide into a day. If you want a
good phone or a new motorcycle, you need to look at your parents'
income. If you want to celebrate without regrets, you need to look at
your financial strength. If you want anything, you need to think about
the results of your desires: how are they like us or different from us?
Their abilities are our abilities, their livelihoods are our
livelihoods, their family income is our family income, their time is our
time, their results are different and similar. So decide, "Don't just
follow them." The phrase "Don't follow them"
They say, they tell you,
they tease you, they provoke you, or they curse you. Every word they
say, even if it is with good intentions, must go through your mind.
Which words should be considered? Which words should be discarded? But
not immediately. Which words should be followed? The ancient proverb
says, "Jrei loam sra lao, tra vloam beong." Some words are said
beautifully, but with bad intentions, they say by tempting you, or by
tricking you (popular wisdom). Especially people with this logic are
skilled at telling lies. Even though we are people with weak ears (some
call us white ears), we always believe what others say, and sometimes we
don't follow what others say (intellectual weakness). They lead us to
the left and right, and as a result, we become their pawns, becoming a
pawn in making profits for them. This result is not good, my friend, so
"don't follow what others say."
The phrase "Don't brag about being rich"
What
if you brag about being rich? The meaning is like the first phrase. The
rich are bragging and they are whistling, they are singing because they
have big jobs. They have a lot of money that can support their lives.
Some of you are still spending money from your parents (poor parents),
while others have jobs and careers, but they are barely enough to
support their lives. If you can't control your desires and still want to
follow the rich, when you are in trouble and hungry, you will face no
one to help you. The ancient proverb says, "The mosquito, seeing an
elephant, will try to follow the elephant." A small body and small
buttocks, who don't know how to be proud, want to follow the elephant,
but will only lose his life. Oh!
Proverbs and proverbs:
1, Don't spend according to your desires... (Hak Sienghai)
2, People and money, giants and meat (ancient)
3, The beautiful and beautiful, the beautiful and beautiful (ancient)
4, Seeing an elephant, don't try to follow the elephant (ancient)
Analysis and interpretation: Khmer proverbs and poems
Let's all read the following stories to educate our children:
Fairy tales
The story of the ant and the ant
This
story has an ending in French. There was a lazy bird, who, during the
rainy season, flew around singing and playing as he pleased, not
worrying about finding food for himself. There was a group of ants, who
were greedy creatures, who brought rice and stored it in their nests,
fearing that poverty would come. When the rainy season arrived, the bird
could not find any food to eat. It was very hungry, so it flew to
borrow rice from the ants. It said, "My dear, my dear, I have nothing to
depend on. Because the rains are very heavy this month, I will not be
able to find food. I have come here to ask for a loan of rice, my dear.
Until the dry season comes, I will repay you. Please have mercy and pity
on me, and help me get out of this poverty, my dear." When the ant
heard this, it asked, “Why didn’t you find food for yourself at the
beginning of the year, in the month of Brang Rang? What were you so
worried about?” The ant replied, “My dear! We have no work to do. We are
so busy flying around in the forest, singing and playing as we please,
that we have no food to eat.” The ant said, “Yes, how did you sing in
the past? Now, you should find some songs to play and sing and dance. We
must sing and dance without stopping. This singing and dancing game is
for your livelihood. Please sing and dance, I will listen.” The ant
replied, “Oh! My dear, you are almost starving to death. How can you go
and dance? Please share some rice with us.” The ant replied, "We have
some rice, but we have enough for our relatives and relatives to eat. We
cannot give it to the poor. We have to go and borrow it from others."
Hearing the ant's words, the ant flew away from there towards the abode
of the self. He suffered from hunger and was unable to find food. He
tried to live in a state of hunger. Listen to this story. How can it be
compared to wisdom? Go ahead. The student replied, "Please tell me this
story to a lazy person who does business with others. When the season
for farming comes, he does not work with them, and the season ends.
Thus, poverty and hardship also befall that person. Because of the power
of gambling, he no longer thinks about doing business and will go and
borrow money from others. Whoever wants to borrow, he also takes care of
himself. He also endures suffering according to his karma. Just as the
ant borrows rice but does not lend it to others, so he does not lend it
to others.
(Song, Verse 7)
On the green grass, under the bright sunlight
A group of ants work hard to find food to store.
Eagerly pulling and pulling, trying to crawl,
Finding food to store in the barn, saving for the rainy season.
Even though it is hot and difficult, the ants endure, trying to bring food
Preparing to cook for the family In the rainy season.
There is a ants not far away, singing and dancing happily, without any worries
Not worrying about the future, not finding food to support themselves.
When the ants saw the ants working hard, the ants said, "Why are you working so hard? You have to work hard to dance."
The
ants replied to the ants, "I have a lot of work to do. Collect food and
put it in a place. You should think about it yourself."
The ants replied, "I am not worried about the rainy season. There is no shortage of food. Now we dance and sing."
The ants were worried because they had run out of food.
They looked at the ants, because they had worked hard.
Now the ants realized that they were too happy to do anything.
When they were hungry, they realized that they should work hard in their free time.
Don't have fun without breaking the rules, be careful not to get hurt
(Excerpt from Fairy Tales and Tales, Part 3)
The Story of the Mother
The Story of the Mother teaches people to be good at business and respect the truth.
The
Story of the Mother is a folk tale that falls into the category of folk
tales. Elders often tell stories to their children, especially girls,
and the teachings of parents who often use this story as an example for
their daughters to understand their own actions that are wrong in the
management of the wealth earned by their husbands. Not only that, this
story also shows the art of relationships in social life. Let me present
the main content of the Story of the Mother as follows.
Once upon a
time...there was a king named Brahmadatta Soiraj in the city of
Varanasi. At that time, in the city there was a poor man, a poor man,
who lived with his wife. His wife was beautiful and attractive, but she
was stingy and had many enemies. He was not liked by his relatives. One
day, Manap and his wife went to fish, and the other fishnet broke
because his wife did not know how to take care of it. When the husband
fished, the fish went out through the hole. After fishing for a long
time, they approached a large ship. The chief and his wife looked down
from the ship and saw the fishnet broken. The chief's wife said, "Why
don't you use something to stop the fish from escaping?" Hearing this,
the chief was angry and sent her down to live with Manap. The chief, the
owner of the ship, replaced her with Manap's wife, who was a poor
woman. She, Manap's new wife, took the fishnet and went to find
something to stop the fish that had been caught, and followed Manap all
the way. When she returned home, she ordered her husband, Manap, to take
the fish to his relatives. The neighbors were all surprised because
Manap and his wife were not kind. When they visited Manap's house, they
found out that Manap had a new wife with a good name. One day, Manap
went into the forest to cut firewood. When he returned, his wife saw
that the wood was all valuable wood. She asked her husband to cut and
bundle a lot of wood and hired a neighbor's cart to carry it to the
store. When the boatman went to buy it, she sold many of her possessions
and prepared to build a large house and hire servants. The points
mentioned above teach us to organize and take care of the wealth we have
earned, so that our lives and families can prosper. In addition, in the
story of Manap, it is also shown that communicating with prominent
people and government officials makes life more prosperous and strong.
For example, in the story, the husband also knew the grandson, the
grandson of the king, the grandson of the palace, the grandson of the
palace, and the grandson of the palace, etc. One day, she told her
husband that she wanted her husband to learn to run as fast as he
wanted. The husband followed suit and ran until he was no longer tired.
The wife saw that her husband had run fast and had great strength, so
she took him to meet the officials so that her husband could go to serve
the king. One day, the king went to the forest. Chao Manap told his
wife to prepare food to join the royal procession. The wife prepared for
her husband and prepared a meal for the king. She thought that the king
would be separated from all the officials, only Manap would go. With
satisfaction from Manap's service, the king named him "Chao Ma Ma". One
day, when he was hungry, Chao Ma The story goes that at that time, the
gods guarding the sycamore tree heard that the king was telling his
story to the goddess, so they gathered together to collect myrrh from
the sycamore tree. When they realized that the king was asleep, the gods
were angry and the king was not true to his word. They decided to break
the sycamore branch and force the king to give up his life. If he did
not do it now, the king would go to Borei and break the gate and force
it to close. If he passed through it again, the night and the night
would turn into snakes and bite until the goddess's breasts were
covered. Hearing that, the goddess woke up the king and took him through
the three stages. In the last stage, when the snake was killed, the
snake's blood spilled and stained the goddess's breasts. The goddess
thought that if she woke up the goddess, she would not understand, and
if she wiped it with her hands, she would not heal. Then she took the
snake's body and placed it under the goddess's breasts and licked the
blood that stained the queen's breasts. The goddess woke up, woke up the
goddess and said, "My goddess, use your tongue to lick her breasts."
King Brahmadatta only heard this, but he was very angry. Without
thinking long, he ordered the executioner to arrest our uncle and
torture him all night. The above points clearly show that not honoring a
promise will bring harm to oneself, and also clearly show that the
great are like fire. If you are far away, it will be cold. If you are
too close, it will burn you. But the word of truth still has power for
those who respect it, especially those who uphold the law, as in the
story. Of course, with the guards of the four directions blocking the
way, because the law of the kingdom did not allow people to be executed
before dawn, each guard of the gate explained many reasons to the
executioner so that the executioner would not execute my uncle and make
the king regret it later. Speaking of King Brahmadatta, when he woke up
and considered all the reasons, he saw that my uncle was very kind to
him. He ordered Amatha to run after the executioner and went to the
executioner at the northern gate, which was the last gate, and brought
my uncle back. King Brahmadatta asked my uncle and learned everything.
King Brahmadatta apologized to my uncle and asked my uncle not to be
angry with him, since he had given my uncle a suitable honor. Our
grandfather returned to live with his wife in peace. According to this
point, respecting the truth and valuing the law really brought peace.
Speaking of the shipmaster, when he changed his wife, because his wife
was a poor woman, she did not help in any business, only thinking about
spending money when her son pooped, urinated, did not wash her, she
always tore off new straw, wiped it, and threw it away without regret.
All the gold and silver she had were also melted until she sold the ship
to spend. When both of them ran out of money, the husband and wife went
to ask for alms. After walking for a long time, they arrived at our
grandfather's house. Our grandfather's wife saw him and called him for
alms as usual and recognized him as her ex-husband, who used to be the
shipmaster. Why is he now begging for alms? As for the ex-husband, when
he saw him, he was ashamed and took his wife and children away. As the
story above shows, no matter how much we earn, if we do not know how to
take care of ourselves and save money, the wealth we have earned will
surely disappear.
Buddhism has advised and taught people to do
only good deeds and avoid doing bad deeds. In particular, it educates
the mind to be good and pure and to apply it as a principle in their
lives and in society. Buddhism has provided a perspective for educating
people's minds to be free from suffering and to achieve peace, not a
doctrine to burn incense or pray for prosperity. Knowledge in Buddhism
is universal because it is a Buddha that preaches only the Law for
sustaining human society and nature, a Buddha based on the truth, the
reality of birth and death of nature, and on practical reasons. The word
"Dharma" in Buddhism is nothing more than the science of telling the
truth, the science of giving truth, a general Dharma for applying in
solving social problems and for sustaining the world. Buddhism has
provided happiness and prosperity to human society. The Buddha did not
seek happiness for people only for the future of the nation, his first
and foremost goal was to help people and human society to be happy in
this nation and to teach people to live and use time in the present. The
past is gone, the future has not yet arrived. Therefore, we cannot
grasp the past and the future. Everything is always in the present.
Buddhism teaches people that “self-reliance” means that only oneself can help oneself.
Purity
and impurity, prosperity and development depend on oneself, no one can
create for oneself or take their place. Pure deeds always bring
prosperity and well-being. Therefore, in order to be happy, successful,
and successful, each individual should strive to do many good deeds
because good deeds give people in society dignity, high status, and
happiness at all times, both now and in the future. The Dharma that the
Buddha expressed emphasizes the truth, knowing the truth, seeing the
truth according to the true nature. The Buddha taught people to know the
right path to act, which is the path that leads people of all ages to
be good, to grow, and to bring peace. The Buddha was a sociologist. He
saw the suffering in human society, so he dedicated his physical
strength and mental strength to society, sacrificing all kinds of
happiness to help solve the problems of human society.
In particular,
for our Khmer society, Buddhism has created a pure belief in good
deeds, truth and justice. All of these are essential factors in pushing
Khmer society and Khmer people to have virtue, humanity and strive to
accumulate all good deeds for peace, happiness and prosperity. Not only
that, Buddhism also helps preserve Khmer cultural and traditional values
and solve all kinds of problems peacefully and non-violently.
Buddhism has educated our Khmer people to be resilient, intelligent,
active, conscientious, thoughtful, honest, fair, believe in their own
abilities and strengths, and know how to help each other.
Buddhism is
the foundation of social progress and happiness by educating people and
society to do only good deeds, such as non-harm, non-violence,
non-greed, understanding, compassion, saving others, kindness, morality,
giving, honesty, reciprocity, non-harassment, tolerance, non-violent
behavior, and non-violent behavior. If all people in society and the
world do only these things, peace and happiness will surely come to
human society and the world.
Prepared by:
- Student Tholl Un, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Khmer Literature from Preah Sihanouk Royal University
- Graduated with a bachelor's degree in Information Technology from Builbrigth University
Address: Sya Ampil Village, Baray Commune, Srei District
Santhor, Kampong Cham Province.
References
Dhammabal Khieu Chum, Book (World of Buddhism)
Udomprija Chap Pin, Book (Three Benefits)
Professor Mahadhamma Gurukool Prak Prum (Buddhism and Social Issues)
Chhan Iam, Book (Buddhist Economic Philosophy)
Mr. San Suja, Book (Three Benefits)
(Lesson of the Dharma, Three Benefits - Pitaka Atthakatha, No. 48, Sandhana, Pages 251-259)
