卑下と覚り
Self-Deprecation and Enlightenment
2024-06-14 18:00:00
Even an exemplary Buddhist practitioner might feel that their practice is not progressing, leading them to become despondent and self-deprecating.
However, this can never be helpful on the path to enlightenment (= liberation).
This is because Buddhist practice is not about gradually becoming a kinder person, but rather about the practitioner ultimately realizing true kindness, which then gives rise to wisdom, culminating in liberation.
Therefore, the mental state of a practitioner in the midst of their practice is irrelevant to the practice itself; what matters is whether they ultimately attain wisdom at the very end of their journey.
A related principle can be found in Shakyamuni's original Buddhist scriptures:
1105 Udaya asked, "I have come here to ask the Teacher, who sits in meditation, free from defilements, having completed what needs to be done, without any taints of defilements, and who has reached the far shore of all phenomena. Please teach me about the breaking of ignorance and liberation through correct understanding."
1106 The Buddha replied, "Udaya, abandoning both desire and sorrow, eliminating a downcast mood, and ceasing remorse,
1107 Cultivating a calm mind and purity of thought—these arise based on reflection on the truth—this is the breaking of ignorance and liberation through correct understanding, as I teach." (The Words of the Buddha - Sutta Nipata, Chapter 5: The Way to the Far Shore, Section 14: The Questions of the Student Udaya, translated by Hajime Nakamura, Iwanami-Bunko)
From this, it can be said that Buddhist practitioners should not be swayed by the outcomes and consequences of their daily actions, but should always engage in their practice with poise, maintaining a fervent desire to understand the truth.
Only in this way can practitioners remain vigilant, hear the rare words of the Dharma, and ultimately attain enlightenment (= liberation).
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