Individual Transformation in Dhammapada

A/N:  Please pay no attention to the references; they are as my prof. told us to do them.



Two virtues lie at the heart of Buddhism:  wisdom (prajña or panna) and compassion (karuna).  The goal of Buddhism is for the individual to be transformed by the acquisition of these virtues and the dispelling of old, detrimental habits.  These habits, whether they are actions of the physical body or thoughts of the physical mind, create suffering, or dukkha.  This transformation removes the causes of one’s suffering (these actions and thoughts) and replaces them with positive behaviors and thoughts.

A change in behavior is important in Buddhism because it conveys a change in mind.  Also, those seeking guidance need only to look towards those whose actions are virtuous in order to identify those who would be able to help the less spiritually mature (6:78).  The purpose of Buddhism is to move towards nirvana, and whether your actions are healthy (kusala) or unhealthy (akusala) depend on whether or not they help you achieve this end.  There are many negative behaviors and actions which the devout Buddhist must remove from his or her life in order to approach nirvana.  Among those negative actions specifically mentioned within the Dhammapada are sloth (2:27-28), lust (2:27), killing (10:129-130), harsh words (10:133), and harming the innocent (10:137-140).  All these actions fall into one the three categories of hetus:  greed/lust, hatred/ill-will, and delusion.  Hetu means root, though within Buddhism it is meant as an inner motivating force for behavior.

Though few specific actions on the positive side are mentioned, the Buddhist is told to “hasten to do good” and “refrain from evil”, for “if you neglect the good, evil can enter your mind” (9:116).  Hastening to do good and refraining from doing evil will allow one to make good habits and break evil ones (9:117-118).

In Buddhism the type of karma a person receives is determined by that person’s intention, by what sort of person he or she is.  Even if a person does not act on an impulse, that impulse still creates karma.  All actions are first thoughts; that is why the real transformation must occur in the mind (class notes, 11-12-07).  Meditation eventually allows for the recognition of the source of the impulses that drive one’s thoughts and actions, which then allows such impulses to be examined and ultimately changed.  Consciousness and mindfulness are important within Buddhism because only with a focused mind will one be able to recognize first the awareness of the sensations of the body, the perceptions of the mind, and finally the impulses of the ego.

In the same way that the three hetus must be uprooted with regards to actions, the defiling impulses, known as asavas, must be eliminated from the mind in order to cultivate mental purity.  These asavas are subconscious mental impressions that push the mind towards certain actions; they are the seeds of karma, planted when a person does a certain action, thereby making it easier for one’s mind to perpetuate that action.  Through meditation one will become aware of these otherwise subconscious impulses and will then be able to eradicate them before they cause more external harm.

The five goals of mental cultivation are knowledge, insight, advancement, nirvana, and wisdom; opposing these are the five impediments:  doubt, excitement/restlessness, laziness, greed/lust, and hatred/ill-will.  Here, greed/lust and hatred/ill-will are treated as mental states rather than forces motivating behavior; the two are related, but are not the same.  Many of these and other important mental traits to gain or exterminate are expounded upon in chapter eight, which discusses virtue and wisdom as opposed to the undisciplined mind, among other things (8:110-113), but perhaps the single most important aspect of mental cultivation in Buddhism, because it is so focused on meditation, is discipline of thought (3:33).  The “trained mind brings health and happiness” (3:35).  Equanimity is prized above all else (6:81), and its rivals, selfishness and pleasure, are despised, as they will only hinder the one who seeks Buddha on his or her path towards nirvana (5:75).

Transformation of the individual is the driving force behind Buddhism because it allows for the achievement of nirvana; without transformation, the achievement of nirvana would not be possible because no one is born at that level of awareness.  The very nature of nirvana requires that it be attainable, not given, so that the transformation of the individual must take place.