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Ideal Vesak reading

Is it a sin or a merit to kill another suffering for a long time from an agonising disease, with a view to relieving his suffering?

Answer: It is an unBuddhistic act to kill another with the idea of relieving his suffering. Why is it that only animals in such a plight are killed in this manner and not one's parents or relatives undergoing similar suffering? The Buddha does not advocate the killing of another under any circumstance. The Bodhisatva (the aspirant for Buddhahood) was the most compassionate being in the world. But nowhere has it been recorded that he has ever killed anyone to relieve his suffering. It is through a misconception of the doctrine that one thinks it possible to kill another with a compassionate mind.

It is not possible to kill an animal without hatred. The sin of 'Pranaghata' is always committed with a mind associated with hatred, however subtle it may be. The two qualities of compassion and hatred which are mutually incompatible never arise together in the same mind like light and darkness. Although at the sight of a suffering animal, a person gets a compassionate thought through ignorance of the Dhamma; he may think it is better to kill and this thought is associated with hatred. Therefore, eventually he kills the animal through hatred. Thus as a result of this evil thought (akusala chetana) he commits an 'akusala kamma' which can cause him to be reborn in a state of woe after death, in spite of the fact that his original thought was one of compassion.

The answer is from Venerable Weragoda Sarada Thera from Singapore and appears in the Vesak Lipi, the bilingual Buddhist annual which has been released for the 15th year in its usual high quality presentation style with plenty of interesting reading matter for the season.

Here is the Thera's answer to another question - does one commit the sin of destroying one's life (pranaghata akusala) when small insects are killed while working? When a farmer tills the ground, worms get killed. The farmer, however, does not till with the intention of killing. His intention is to cultivate the soil. He therefore does not commit the sin of 'pranaghata'. The same could be said of the deaths caused to animals while burning rubbish, ploughing, lighting lamps, walking, driving etc.

He then gives five conditions when the 'pranaghata akusala' is caused: Being a living creature, knowing that it is a living creature, the desire to kill, doing some act to bring about death, and the occurrence of death as a result of the act. If one of these conditions is lacking, the 'pranaghata akusala' would then be incomplete, as in the case of tilling the ground or lighting a lamp where the intention to kill is absent. However, if one were to light a lamp with the sole intention of burning and killing the insects, he would certainly be committing the 'pranaghata akusala'.

This is the tone of most articles that appear in Vesak Lipi - topical and presented in simple lay language. A few articles appear under two main headings - 'Spotlight on the Dhamma' and ' From the Suttas'. Under the first title, Alec Robertson, President of the Servants of the Buddha discusses the 'Eight Thoughts of a Great Man' pointing out that one should be contented with the food, clothing, shelter and other necessities of life that fall to one's lot if one is to experience the bliss of happiness here in this very life itself. He quotes the Buddha in the Samyutta Nikaya: "Bewailing not the past, of the future incurious, living in the present, by this health glows, anxious about the future and bewailing the past, thus fools wither away like cut green reeds".

Ven. C. Nyanasatta Thera writing on 'The Meditative Practice of Metta' explains how one can set about it. Meditation on Loving kindness is one of the easiest to learn for even without any knowledge of Pali or the Buddhist Scripture, anyone may easily learn how to practise Metta, he says.

In 'The Joy of Giving' T B Ratnayake first explains the four forms of happiness enjoyed by a layman as mentioned in the Anguttara Nikaya: Acquiring sufficient wealth by just and righteous means (atthi-sukha) is the first. The next is spending that wealth on himself, on others near and dear to him and on meritorious deeds (bhoga-sukha). The third is to be free from debt (anana-sukha) and the fourth living a faultless and pure life (anavajja-sukha). He elaborates on how one can achieve the second form of happiness through the practice of 'dana' or giving.

'Be Buddhist and rich' is another thought provoking article where the writer, Professor Chandima Wijebandara shows that poverty is impermanent. It can be changed. He discusses four important factors needed to develop a positive plan to achieve affluence: Industriousness (Uttana sampada), watchfulness or conservation (Arakkha sampada), good company (Kalyanamitta) and balance livelihood (Sama jivikata).

The inclusion of a fine set of colour photographs helps this year's issue of 'Vesak Lipi' to be of even better quality than in previous years. The cover carries a close up of the Sri Maha Bodhi. A pictorial feature on Myanmar (Burma) by Upali Salgado, compiler/editor of 'Vesak Lipi' introduces the reader to this cultural paradise. A more detailed description of the visit to Myanmar would not have been out of place. The panoramic view of Pagan, the ancient 11th century capital of Burma (42 kings had ruled from there) where around 2000 Theravada Buddhist temples had been found, is of much historical interest.

The line drawings in the feature, 'Pabbajja' (Going Forth) adds much meaning to the stanzas quoted from the Dhammapada, Visuddhimagga and other texts.

Among the Sinhala articles, one on the significance of Pirith by Heenatiyana Nandatissa Anu Nayake Thera will be of interest to many. Pallawewa Vijitha Tissa Thera focuses attention on eroding Buddhist values.

Last year saw a number of erudite monks pass away. They have been remembered in 'Vesak Lipi' - Aggamaha Pandita Balangoda Ananada Maitriya Mahanayake Thera (1896-1998) Tangalle Devananada Maha Thera, (1908-1998), head of Mettaramaya, Bambalapitiya and Piyadassi Nayake Thera (1914-1998). The notable Buddhist leader Gamani Jayasuriya (1924-1998) has not been forgotten either.

'Vesak Lipi' is ideal Vesak reading. Few Vesak publications, if any, can match its get-up and content. There should be many who collect these volumes for their library. Compiler/Editor Salgado deserves everyone's support and co-operation for its continuity. He does a marvellous job in getting such a valuable publication out well ahead of Vesak and for free distribution as a 'Dhamma-dana'.

-D C Ranatunga

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