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Cheating and being cheated
View(s):We want to live without being cheated. We do not want anyone to ‘take us for a ride’. Since many of us get cheated, I thought of this subject. Whether we are Buddhists, Christians, Muslims or Hindus, we need to have our self respect and for that we must not get cheated. Our life is short and we must not cheat anyone during this short span. Sorrow, tension and fear are with us from birth. To overcome these, we need to live with foresight. Small or big, rich or poor we must realise that by nature, we have to face sorrow and fear. If we do this we can live with equanimity.
We cannot find a better example than Lord Buddha who practically taught us about this equanimity. He cast away from himself jealousy, anger and evil cravings. With the eradication of these, he gained wisdom and divine aptitudes to reach the highest spiritual levels. He achieved powers to such an extent that he was able to look at anyone, gauge the character of that person with the knowledge of his previous births. Even the great Arahaths had these qualities. They achieved qualities such as Dhyanalaabhi, Sovan, Sakrudaggami, Anagami and Arahathhood.
But today instead of these qualities, we have technology. With technology, if a dog jumps in the path of an oncoming vehicle, it is possible to avoid an accident. Though such technology is rare in Sri Lanka, it is widely available in the developed world.
A Jewish gentleman has provided such technology to two educated local gentlemen. These two gentlemen taught this to two pupils, and they in turn taught it to four others, and those four to eight more and so on. Today over more than 800 people are knowledgeable in this. They have made the software and distributed it. Who has benefited from this technology of having accident free driverless self driven vehicles? Who thought of this here in Sri Lanka? This Jewish person presented us with only a limited amount of technology. If everyone thinks of having this technology developed, it will be a great revolution for the country.
The technology that was developed for the driverless vehicles has improved to such an extent that it has now gone to embrace new findings. It is now possible by observing from a distance the eye movements, and the movements of the ears, lips, nose, cheek or even the forehead to detect whether a person is coming to attack, to kill, to rob, to cheat or even to love someone.
Lord Buddha declared supernatural truths after attaining enlightenment. Today scientists are trying to tell us about mental capacities with the help of technology. If such technological advancement could be developed, it would result in mental discipline.
If human mentality could be understood by the present day computer technology it could bring in an unprecedented revolution. Equipment under computer technology to gauge the individual mentality may have been initiated to at least lessen the effects of human destruction, robberies and blood shed all round. If this technology is popularly accepted, it would revolutionise thinking in the world.
But the recurrence of evil should not be reduced by technology, but by improving the mentality of people. For this we have to make use of the preaching of Lord Buddha on human mentality.
Everyone belonging to any nationality or religion must not cheat their parents, to begin with. Children should not be cheated. Employees and neighbours also should not be cheated. If we can start this process from one family and spread it around to other families, we can eradicate cheating from the country. Non acceptance of what is impossible to perform, with proper explanation for such action is not something to be ashamed of. What is shameful is to accept to do something but failing to bring it to fruition. The reason for courts cases to increase with more lawyers getting into the profession, increase in trials and the prisons getting overcrowded is mainly due to this increase in cheating.
With the decay in mental condition there are more patients visiting doctors. Drug manufacturers have more business. Who is not suffering from mental depression today? Mental depression can bring in other sicknesses.
Whatever wealth that is earned is spent on sicknesses. If water, wind, sunlight and trees are protected it will result in good physical and mental health and general good living. Lord Buddha preached about the final destruction of the universe or Kalpavinasa. This is a result of man’s destruction of his habitat. When nature is gradually destroyed life becomes weaker; New life coming into the world can become weaker. It is time steps are taken to preserve life and nature.
Recently a couple who came to see me related the following story. A childless couple had taken part in many religious rituals and vows to have a child. One day an elder had advised them to worship at Lord Buddha’s shrine by placing flowers and a glass of water with the observance of the five precepts with devotion. Observance of the five precepts can be undertaken by anyone whatever the religion practised by that individual. It is not reserved for Buddhists, but a way of life in the civilised society. This couple had practised the five precepts with earnestness. They cast away ill will, hatred and jealousy. After some months they were blessed with a child. They came to see me and told me the importance of observing the five precepts, insisting that this fact be written about for the information of the public. As long as we have hatred, anger and tendency to take revenge and cheat others, we suffer.
We must remember that to avoid evil we must build up our mental powers. The concept of the observance of the five precepts to eradicate evil thoughts has no bounds such as a nationality or religion. Jealousy is not limited to a religion or a nationality. It is the same in the case of anger, taking revenge or cheating.
Take for an example the lottery industry. It has become an instrument to increase the craving and expectations in humans. Sometimes even if the jackpot prize has reached hudreds of lakhs there is no winner. The lottery, run with the blessings of the Government, should not be an instrument to collect revenue and benefit a single individual every now and then. Instead the prize money should be spread out among a larger segment of our society who have faith in it. This will make lottery ticket buyers happy, and generate more faith in it, while increasing the overall revenue.
Many projects in this country end up cheating people, and create false hopes among the public. We are penny wise and pound foolish. We need not cheat the public. It is time that we took a path where cheating is not practised. Let 2016 give us a new vision to have this done.
Kindly address all your suggestions and ideas to:
Ven. Galboda Sri Gnanissar Thera
Gangaramaya Temple, 61 Sri Jinaratana Road, Colomobo 02
Website: www.gangaramaya.com
E mail: gt@gangarama.com
Hot line 011-4060600, 071 – 5199991