THE RIGHT ACTION
Right action is the fourth path that ennobles, and is a direct expression of the spiritual energy of the first three paths. As we have seen the first three paths link together to form a symbiotic triad to support one another. The supporting energy then manifests itself in life outside of the mind and speech, in bodily action. If we have properly prepared the groundwork of mental morality in the first three paths then our behavior in the world will follow as a direct result.
In Buddhism, there is a constant reference to the three purifications of the Body, Speech, and Mind. At the initial level of training, the first five paths prepare the way for the final three which is the perfection of these purifications. The Karmic energy which is released by following right view, resolution, speech, behavior and livelihood allow for the attainment of a mental and emotional level of maturity that is the process of enlightenment.
Without a level of understanding that goes beyond an egotistical view of reality, it is not possible to mature to a point where meditation would lead to enlightenment. The purification of our actions refers to the deliberate sacrifice of the trivial view of the world forced upon us by the ego. We view the world and our lives in the light of a more mature understanding, and our actions and behavior in the world reflect the light. This is how the first three paths merge with the fourth to form a single dynamic energy, self consistent and self supporting.
If the component parts of this energy are not in order, there will be a breakdown in the entire process. When this occurs it is not always easy to determine what aspect of our practice has been the mitigating force behind the system failure. The only way to remedy the situation is to systematically review our selves in light of our spiritual path and try to amend all aspects simultaneously. Once again it is helpful to use the image of a polluted ecosystem as a metaphor. We can't simply locate the point of pollution and rectify all damage to the environment at that point. We must follow the poison trail down stream and repair as we go.
It is not sufficient merely to understand the source of a spiritual decay. Action must be taken to rectify it. This is where Buddhist practice differs from some views of contemporary psychoanalysis. We hold that identifying the historical source of a problem will not be sufficient, in and of itself, to make that problem disappear. Although few professional psychologists still hold this view, many lay people still believe identification of the source to be enough.
The next part of our spiritual development begins, after the initial training in correcting our world view, our will, and our speech leads us into our right physical actions in the world. The realm of right action is threefold. Action which preserves life and does not destroy it, action that respects other property and dose not misappropriate it, and action that is not sexually inappropriate to the spiritual life.
I have amended the literal interpretation of the Pali, which reads more like not to kill, not to steal, and not to commit sexual misconduct, because we tend to look at spiritual injunctions in the west in terms of the emotional content of biblical commandments. Buddhist teachings are a dynamic that requires a more flexible understanding than this. To Buddhists, the law of karma takes in to account the motivation behind an act as well as the act itself. As I mentioned earlier, when discussing compassion, it is sometimes necessary to commit to actions which appear to be contradictory to spiritual principles. If it is necessary to kill one person to save many others, then that is not a violation of the injunction against killing, but an expression of the spirit behind the injunction.
Buddhist moral statements are not laws which point to absolute good and bad, but rather expressions of spiritual practice aimed at creating a constructive life energy. For instance, the injunction not to take life should be interpreted as a remedial action to guarantee that the principle of respect for life is not violated. It is not a more decry as much as an expression of unity with life. Once again, we face the essential difference in a dynamic view of existence rather than a static ontologically based view of reality.
This does not in any way separate man from the consequences of committing a violation of spiritual principle. Far from it. It actually guarantees that he will suffer a retribution for destructive action in direct proportion to that action. There is no leaping out of the system through divine grace. The best that can be hoped for is that an individual is in a state of enlightenment when retribution comes so that he can bear it with equanimity.
A respect for life, as embodied in the directive not to take life, expresses an understanding of the unity of existence and our place in it. It focuses the attention of the practitioner on the fact that all beings share a common love of life and fear of death. This understanding then arouses in one the immense energy of compassion. This compassion is the essential life giving energy in the world. Where it is absent, the energy that resides in its place is the energy of death. For life itself is process and unity which is the recognition that is compassion. When compassion is absent, the mind is left to dwell on things separate in their isolation. This imagined isolation is the very fear of death itself. What is death but ultimate loneliness?
A respect for life, then, is a natural extension of our wisdom derived from our spiritual practice. Since we do not abide in that wisdom perfectly, we require the conceptual reminder of our code of harmlessness. It is not enough for the Bodhisattva to merely refrain from killing to fulfill the spirit of this energy, he or she must put forward an attitude and action that manifests life giving quality. This means we should help, whenever it is possible, to support other beings in the world through our actions.
Now it is obvious that we cannot feed every starving animal or person in the world, but we can support an attitude that promotes society to respect animals and people. We should not lend ourselves to activities that violate the spirit of our intent even if we only participate in them passively. It is not necessary for instance to join an animal rights group to effect a change of attitude toward animals. One can accomplish this by polishing their own spiritual practice to make themselves spiritually attractive enough to others that they will seek to emulate you.
A person may find that it is right action to get politically involved in an organization espousing human or animal rights. They must, however, be certain that in so doing they maintain the spirit of compassion toward others. For instance, to stridently attack a furrier for his lack of compassion is violating the spirit of compassion as well.
Even in my baby Bodhisattva stage of development, after twenty years of practice, anger has begun to give way to sadness and compassion toward individuals who destroy lives, either theirs or others. To the extent that I have been able to convince others of the destructiveness of their actions, it has been a result of the concern I have been able to express for them. I have never once converted anyone to right action through anger or insult. Neither have I ever been moved to change my perspective through other's anger.
It is not easy to control ones speech if a person allows the general loudness of society to permeate their thinking. It is also not possible to be one of the boys during working hours, exchanging quips and swapping tales, and then turn around in the evening to do meditation and be "spiritual". This is not an uncommon way of being in the world for many students, however. To make progress on the path requires a twenty four hour effort, which means that sacrifice of habitual patterns of behavior is necessary.
I strongly suggest that one limit the input they allow into their environment. One should try to make their environment as conducive to spiritual practice as possible. I would not, for instance, watch commercial television news or entertainment and be careful not to read newspapers and periodicals whose slant toward the world is confrontational. It would be a good idea to be wary of becoming too involved with following athletics, since this can lead to an adrenaline addiction and a contentious view of the world.
It is only through such discipline that one can bring their life into accord with the life respecting principle, the foundation of the fourth noble path. Life is a force which consolidates inward motion and outward activity into a unity of being. It is found at it's most profound level in activities that express equanimity, the balance between outward and inward. To be moved constantly outward by excitement is injurious to spiritual health. Excitement distracts us from the necessary mindfulness required to successfully follow our spiritual path. Excitement as an aesthetic is simply inappropriate to spiritual practice. It leads one away from a contemplation of reality and into emotional attachment to things. All this accomplishes is to further alienate one from the ongoing process of life. It goes directly back to the primal link between attachment and suffering, and should be avoided.
The problem is that one must create or abide in an aesthetic that will reinforce this love of balance and equanimity. This is made more difficult by the fact that we live in a society whose aesthetic values are dubious. The aesthetic that prevails in the modern western world is one of excitement. We pursue things that are exciting, new and dazzling to the senses. Economic interests promote this aesthetic to merchandise goods and services. It is easier to sell someone something they do not need, or an inferior product, if you can appeal to that person's emotion rather than his reason.
Advertisers try to equate consumption with basic human emotions in order to confuse our conscious with our unconscious. Automobiles are described as "sexy", as in the "sexy new Ford Probe", in the hope that they will create a sense of confusion in the consumer on a basic level that will make him or her equate their sexual desirability with the car they drive.
We should not confuse enthusiasm, which is an energy of appreciation for the value of worthwhile activity, with excitement. This is generally the case with people who believe they should be excited about things to be properly motivated. Enthusiasm is a natural energy of joy, borne of appreciation for the intrinsic value of something. It differs from excitement in that it does not fade with time, since it is grounded in understanding, not emotion. Excitement becomes exhausted by the common place, while enthusiasm glories in the actuality of the moment.
These sort of distinctions are not merely philosophical, but are made to direct the student's attention toward the subtler levels of understanding which produce spiritual growth. The process of true harmlessness and loving kindness starts with oneself disciplining ones action to produce life giving results.
The next aspect of right behavior which Buddha delineated is respect for others through respect for their property. In simple words, not stealing. I must emphasize that when we respect others property, it is out of respect for them, not the value of the property. A person's property represents his efforts and life energy and therefore has a quality which makes property spiritually important. To violate this principle by stealing is to violate the person. This kind of energy is a life negating energy, in that it does not value life in the form of someone's energy and effort.
To be so attached to things as to not recognize the suffering caused to others by stealing, is to be allied to this death energy. Once again, one has chosen things over process. Static deluded values over enlightenment. Every time someone steals, they practice delusion, getting more mired in the swamp of ignorance. It is not just a matter of the karmic consequences of stealing in regard to the future that is important, but the immediate product of delusion reinforcing itself, which should be feared. To steal is ignorance squared. First you are attached to temporal things; second your attachment to concepts of self and others; third you violate basic morality. This is like scratching a flea bite with a sprig of poison ivy.
The obvious virtue that makes honesty a natural expression of one's being is contentment. To be content, one has to have a view of the world that is broad enough not to become fascinated with things in themselves. If we are given over to the world, then we will be like a large mouth bass that bites at any shiny lure in the lake. In this society there are many people who know just what lures to cast to get our attention if we are so disposed. Glamour, power, sex, and wealth reel in quite a few of the unwary. Not all the fishermen are in business suits either. Some wear the robes of Lamas, Zen Masters and gurus. Spiritual frauds can steal from you more than your property. They can rob you of your spiritual innocence and enthusiasm. Ultimately, a person has to use common sense in dealing with teachers just the same as he or she would in relating to anyone else. However, if you are attracted to the shiny lures of false values and excitement, you are bound to be hooked.
The last area of moral conduct included under the path of right action is in governing sexual conduct. The traditional vinaya or code of moral conduct for monks precludes all sexual activity. A true monk is required to be abstinent, period. However, in the west almost all Buddhists are lay people or priests, not monks, thus a realistic code of sexual behavior is needed.
The essence of Buddhist attitude toward sexual behavior is that it should not be destructive. Therefore, any activity that endangers the physical or spiritual health of another human being or yourself is prohibited. Sex is not considered either bad or good, it simply is of the nature of things. It becomes good or bad dependent upon how it is used. If it brings intimacy and love to a relationship and does not harm anyone, it is good. If it is motivated solely by desire, driving people to have sex regardless of their respect for the other person or themselves, it is bad.
Promiscuous sexual activity is almost always bad. It witnesses a pathological attraction to the senses that overwhelms the natural instinct of bonding and communication. People who indulge in this type of behavior have a fundamental problem with respect for themselves and others. There are more than a few gurus running around promoting sexual "freedom" as a way of Moksha (liberation). True sexual freedom is not to be possessed by desire. It is to have sexual desire toward one's partner as a result of the love, compassion and intimacy you feel for them.
Once again, we are faced with living in a society that does not share the spiritual values of our path. Sex is a very confusing phenomenon in this culture. Riddled with guilt and worshipped as a god at the same time. If the same peculiar attitudes were applied to such normal aspects of human existence as eating and elimination, people would think it absurd. Yet people are ready to align themselves with the alternate poles of deification or demonification of the sexual function.
Sexual activity is a natural function of human existence. It does not require either glorification of vilification. We have to examine just what are the motivating energies behind these two polar attitudes toward sex in this culture to understand their possible effects upon us.
Much of our problem with sex does come from a reaction to the Judeo-Christian attitude toward the world. This culture is permeated with the traditional perspective of creator creation separation that is intrinsic to Jewish and Christian thought. Since sexuality is an expression of creation par excellence, it stands in counter distinction to the spirit of divinity. Therefore, sexuality must in an essential way be leading one away from God. The only exception to this is when sex is sanctified in marriage. Even then, there is a residue of unholiness left over in the act that colors our attitude toward it.
Those that consciously reject this religious world view are never the less still subject to it through its hold on cultural values. Many functional agnostics adhere to the notion that they have grown out of the idea of God and his judgment. Whether they have or not consciously, their unconscious still holds the images of what they have been taught. Unless a person has undergone a thorough analysis of themselves through either a psychological or spiritual discipline, they can never be sure exactly what might be motivating them from their unconscious. Very few of us escape the effects of early exposure to church or synagogue. The powerful influences of music and ritual, added to the huge size of the buildings in comparison to our small stature, gives us a feeling of powerlessness. These are powerful images for our young minds to wrestle with and undoubtedly remain with us through out our lives.
To believe that when we no longer feel religion to be viable to us, we have gotten rid of it, is foolish. It remains as part of our personal cultural psychological heritage, whether we like it or not. The question is do we utilize it as a part of our understanding by employing it as a point of reference to our continued spiritual growth. Whenever we come to an understanding of the world that negates some of the basic conditioning of our past, we must consciously reference that conditioning in order to prevent unconscious emotional turmoil.
For instance, if we have reached a point in our practice where our personal idea of divinity is no longer defendable rationally, we must accept a certain amount of psychic discord as a temporary result. The mind has to learn to deal with this new understanding in regard to its images and unconscious content which undoubtedly contains a great deal of early theistic impression.
If we do not do this, then we will be subject to unwanted psychic influences in the form of inconsistencies in our personal actions brought about by conflicts between emotional patterns from the past and intellectual perspective of the present. Our attitude towards sex is a perfect example of this dilemma between past conditioning and present world view. Those of a Judeo-Christian world view cannot help but view sexuality as, at best, an inferior influence on life, and at worst demonic in that it binds man to creation instead of God.
The rest of society that have rejected this view consciously but not reconciled their unconscious to it, have elevated sex to a god in and of itself. In their unconscious, there is still the primal image of God who demands sacrificing the love of creation for the love of him. We become pro-creation (the term itself says it all) as opposed to pro-God whenever we experience our sexuality. This then is primal sin, choosing procreation over God. The unconscious, being a fundamentally natural phenomenon, abhors a vacuum. In the absence of God, sex the primal image of procreation, takes over Gods power in our unconscious.
Sex becomes an ongoing rebellion and expression of personal power aimed at defeating this notion of God and the culture which still holds to him. Sex then becomes antisocial. It then has become a force which is identified to the unconscious as being in opposition to a society which is heavily imbued with the image of the biblical God.
In order to balance oneself in accordance with sexual right action, one must abandon both of these extremes and see sex for the natural energy it is, understanding its potential for affecting our well being. To destroy existing relationships by our sexual actions; to enslave another person psychologically through sex; to damage or endanger ones physical health through sex; these are examples of sexual misconduct.
The most important fact about sex in regard to right action is in its potential to effect lives, both our own and others. It is not just a matter of consenting adults, but also a matter of those others who may be effected by sexual relationships. A student of the eight fold path should never violate a continuing intimate relationship between two people by becoming a third person. Now this does not mean simply avoiding initiating sexual contact, but avoiding contact whether we initiate it or not.
It is too often the case that people in crisis in a relationship will seek relief from the tension of the crises by having an affair. They may even protest that their relationship is over when it is not, in order to persuade us it is all right. Further, we can give ourselves any number of excuses for going ahead with the liaison. The truth of the matter is simple, we should not get involved unless we are certain that the party we are getting involved with has made a formal separation from their partner, and has announced that intention to them. Even then, one must still analyze the situation and be certain the consequences of involvement are not injurious to others.
Another very destructive sexual relationship is one that preys upon someone else's essential sexual weakness to manipulate them. This means that even a sanctified relationship like marriage can involve sexual misconduct. If by giving sex or denying it, one manipulates another person to do that which they would not have done without this sexual coercion, then this is sexual misconduct.
The final example of sexual misconduct is the voluntary exposure to sexual activity that could endanger either your health or someone else's. Any sexual activity which could spread disease through carelessness is sexual misconduct. The remedy to attraction to sexual misconduct is to develop an attitude toward sex that sees it as an expression of love. If one views the world through this perspective, then they will not have to concern themselves with what is specifically "sexual misconduct". When a person has developed a correct attitude toward the world, based upon wisdom and compassion, all aspects of their life are illuminated in the light of understanding.
