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Chapter 1: To live a better life
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To accumulate
virtuous deeds and to wash off unvirtuous deeds: This is the
practice of Buddhism |
Through our workings of body,
speech and mind, we are constantly accumulating three kinds of
karmas: virtuous deeds, unvirtuous deeds, or deeds which are neither
virtuous nor unvirtuous. So, in order to purify our karma and
achieve true happiness, it is necessary to wash off our unvirtuous
deeds accumulated in the past, at the same time as we accumulate
virtuous deeds.It means to clear off the
unvirtuous deeds by positively experiencing the suffering, but the
most important point here is to be able to think "my suffering has
its cause in myself."
Everybody has virtuous deeds and unvirtuous deeds, and the
balance between them defines not only this life but also the next
life.
Both processes are necessary: to accumulate hard the
virtuous deeds, and to wash off the unvirtuous
deeds.
We are constantly doing acts of body, speech and
mind day by day. And among them, there are some actions of the
body, some words or some workings of the mind, which
unconsciously are not appropriated for the Truth. Of course,
once you have attained the state of True Victors, such
workings are completely extinguished. However, even after you
have attained, you must clear off your accumulated karmas of
speech, body or mind that you have done until then.
(September 23, 1992 - at Sakai)
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