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One
with the moral virtue or manussa-dhamma (qualities that make one
human) who can be right
4. THE SOCIAL
BENEFATOR
A. He has the Divine Abidings, the four mental attributes of a being who is sublime or grand- minded like a good, which are: 1. Metta: living kindness: goodwill and amity, the wish to help all people attain benefitr and hap- piness. 2. Karuna: compassion: the desire to help other people escape from their suffering; the determi- nation to free all beings, both human and animal, of their hardships and happiness. 3. Mudita: appreciative gladness: when seeing others happy, one feels grad; when seeing others do good actions or attain success and advancement, one responds with gladness and is ready to help and support them. 4. Upekkha: equanimity; seeing things as they are with a mind that is even, steady, firm and fair like a pair of scales; understanding that all beings experience good and evil in accordance with the causes they have created; ready to judge, position oneself act in accordance with principles, reason and equity. Having established these four mental qualities as a foundation he may express them outwardly in the following ways: B. He contributes to social harmony: he practices in accordance with the four principles for helpful integration, or qualities that bond people in unity, known as the sangha-vatthu. These are: 1. Dana: giving; being kind, generous; sacrificing; sharing; helping and providing assistance with the four neccessity, money or material possissions-indluding the imparting of knowledge or unders- tanding and learning. 2. Piyavaca: amicable speech; speaking words that are polite, pleasant to the ear, and helpful, that point the way to benefit, and that are based on reason and conductive to goodness; or wards that are sympathetic and encouraging; speaking words that lead to understanding harmony; friend- ship, and mutual love respect and service. 3. Atthacariya: helpful action; helping with physical service, making and effort to lend a hand to others in their activities; performing actions that are helpful to the community; including helping to resolve problems and promote morality. 4. Samanatta: participation; putting oneself in communion with others; behaving consistently and impartially; behaving equitably toward all people, not taking advantage of them; sharing in their happiness and suffering, acknowledging problems and participating in resolving them for the com- mon good. In brief, these are to help through comtributions of money, material things or knowledge; to help through speech; to help through physical action; and to help through participation in facing and resloving problems. 5.
THE HARMONIOUS PARTICIPANT OF THE GROUP
(A good community member) nity, posscesses the following qualities or principles of conduct: A. Being self-reliant: he makes himself a refure unto himself, he is ready to take responsibility for himself and does not make himself into a problem or burden on his company or kin. This can be achieved by maintaining the ten protective virtures (nathakarana-dhamma): 1. Sila: having good conduct and displine, he conducts his life honestly in body and speech; he has discipline and reans his living through right livehood. 2. Bahusacca: possessing much experience and learning; he has learned and heard much, he is well versed in his own field of study or specific area of knowledge, understands it extensively and profoundly knows it clearly and can really put it to use. 3. Kanyanamitta: knowing good assiciation; he has good friends he know how to choose his companions, and approaches those people who are capable of giving good advice; he chooses to associate with and emulate beneficial external influences in sociaty that will guide his life to properi ty and growth. 4. Sovacassata: being easily spoken to; he is not stubborn or head strong; he is willing to listen to reason and facts, and ready to correct and improve himself. 5. Kinkaraniyesu dakkhata: making an effort with the group,s activities; he takes an interest in helping the business and activities of the group, his family, friends, and the community, and uses his wisdom to look forappropriate ways to carry them out, to organize them and bring them to fruition. 6. Dhammakamata: being alover of truth; he is a lover of truth, he likes to learn, to research, to inquire knowledge and seek the truth; he knows how to speak up and ask, and to listen; he has a friendly and relaxed manner that encourages others to approach him for consultation and conversa- tion. 7. Viriyarambha: having effort; he is industrious in avoiding and abandoning evil actions and cultivating the good; he makes an effort and strives forward; he does not given up in neglect or for- sake his duties and responsibilities. 8. Santutthi: being conten, knowing moderation; he is glad and contented only with gains, results and successes brought about or achieved rightfully through his own efforts, he is not caught up in material comforts. 9. Sati: having firm mindfulness; he remembers and is mindful; he recollects what he has done and said and what he needs to do in the future, he is circomspect and restrained with whatever he does not rushed, sloppy, absentminded or reckless; he does not allow himself to slide into wrongful ways or fail to seize an apportunity to do good. 10. Panna: putting head over heart; he has the wisdom to see causes and results; he knows right from wrong, benefit from harm and what is useful from what is not he sees all things as they are; he knows how to examine and judge with a free mind; he does things with reflection and discernment. B. Living harmoniously in the group: in regard to relations with colleagues, associates, fellow comunity members and siblings in the family, the principles for harmony known as the six saraniya dhamma (conditions leading to mutual recorrection) should be observed as follows: 1. Metta-kayakhamma: friendly action; (members of the comunity) each show friendliness and good will to their colleagues, associates and fellow comunity members by willingly helping them in their duties, and bearing a courteous and respectful manner, both in their presnce and in their absence. 2. Metta-vacikamma: friendly speech; they each inform the others what is of benefit, they teach or advise them with a heart of goodwill; the say only polite and respectful words to them, both in their presence and in their absence. Continues next time. Thank you so much.
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