Posted by: Dhammañāṇa
« on: July 01, 2019, 10:21:40 AM »[Q&A] What is the practical effect for a Buddhist whose view is materialist?
was asked by householder Alan on BSE
.
Venerable members of the Sangha,
walking in front Fellows in leading the holly life.
Venerable fellows,
In Respect of the Triple Gems, Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, in Respect of the Elders of the community , my person to share a question and investigate it. Please, may all knowledgeable Venerables and Dhammika, out of compassion, correct my person, if something is not correct and fill also graps, if something is missing.
Valued Upasaka, Upasika, Aramika(inis),
dear Readers and Visitors,
Householder Alan W, interested,
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
What is the practical effect for a Buddhist whose view is materialist?, was asked.
Materialistic view is actually a very common view. Other words would be Nihilism or Marxism or scientific-views.
Materialist, if good, are only able to develop gratitude in regard of kama-guna (see: [Q&A] What did the Buddha say about gratitude?
, gratitude in regard of material gains, i.e. sense pleasure of the many kinds.
Aside of the five grave wrong-doings, mother-, father-murder, killing an Arahat, harming a Buddha or causing the Sangha to split, holding grave wrong view (niyata micca ditthi) is as well the reason for being incapable to develop on the path, toward path in this very existence and causes one to be destine to hellish existence.
On grave wrong views follow a lot of grave wrong actions.
Most "Buddhists" in western/modern world are actually very near this line, even straight on the highway to bad destiny.
The main proclaimer at the Buddhas time was Ajita-Kesakambali, the third main contemporary of the Buddha who asserted that any belief in good action and its reward is a mere delusion, that after death no further life would follow, that man at death would become dissolved into the elements, etc. (one might have traced similar even here, gaining even a lot a reputations on it).
It's hard to count the amount of demerits such a person accumulates in such short time and it's hard to imagine the blessing of being not in association with people holding wrong views, as the Mangala Sutta starts:
Most of you here do not live in areas or among people conductive for a good, and being the case, it would be good to put even more wish and desire for such association into nourishing the reasons for future conditions.
There are several points which makes it relatively easy to trace wrong views tendency found here.
More details on what wrong view is and how to address wrong view can be found here: How to address wrong view?
To answer the question in short another time: Materialistic view leads not only to long time suffering and hell for oneself but also for many others related to one.
It's not out of reason that the Buddhas told that only less beings, after having gained a human existence, a good existence, do not fall upwardly after that.
So it's good to stay always at the Save Bet, and even Arahats still stick to it:
Anumodana punna kusala
was asked by householder Alan on BSE
.Venerable members of the Sangha,
walking in front Fellows in leading the holly life.
Venerable fellows,
In Respect of the Triple Gems, Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, in Respect of the Elders of the community
, my person to share a question and investigate it. Please, may all knowledgeable Venerables and Dhammika, out of compassion, correct my person, if something is not correct and fill also graps, if something is missing.Valued Upasaka, Upasika, Aramika(inis),
dear Readers and Visitors,
Householder Alan W, interested,
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
What is the practical effect for a Buddhist whose view is materialist?, was asked.
Materialistic view is actually a very common view. Other words would be Nihilism or Marxism or scientific-views.
Materialist, if good, are only able to develop gratitude in regard of kama-guna (see: [Q&A] What did the Buddha say about gratitude?
, gratitude in regard of material gains, i.e. sense pleasure of the many kinds.Aside of the five grave wrong-doings, mother-, father-murder, killing an Arahat, harming a Buddha or causing the Sangha to split, holding grave wrong view (niyata micca ditthi) is as well the reason for being incapable to develop on the path, toward path in this very existence and causes one to be destine to hellish existence.
On grave wrong views follow a lot of grave wrong actions.
- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -
’When the self that is possessed of form, made of the four great elements,[25] engendered by mother & father, is—with the breakup of the body—annihilated, destroyed, & does not exist after death, it’s to this extent that the self is completely exterminated.’ (DN1
Most "Buddhists" in western/modern world are actually very near this line, even straight on the highway to bad destiny.
The main proclaimer at the Buddhas time was Ajita-Kesakambali, the third main contemporary of the Buddha who asserted that any belief in good action and its reward is a mere delusion, that after death no further life would follow, that man at death would become dissolved into the elements, etc. (one might have traced similar even here, gaining even a lot a reputations on it).
It's hard to count the amount of demerits such a person accumulates in such short time and it's hard to imagine the blessing of being not in association with people holding wrong views, as the Mangala Sutta
starts:- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -
"Not to associate with the foolish,[5] but to associate with the wise; and to honor those who are worthy of honor — this is the greatest blessing.
To reside in a suitable locality, to have done meritorious actions in the past and to set oneself in the right course — this is the greatest blessing.
Most of you here do not live in areas or among people conductive for a good, and being the case, it would be good to put even more wish and desire for such association into nourishing the reasons for future conditions.
There are several points which makes it relatively easy to trace wrong views tendency found here
.More details on what wrong view is and how to address wrong view can be found here: How to address wrong view?
To answer the question in short another time: Materialistic view leads not only to long time suffering and hell for oneself but also for many others related to one.
It's not out of reason that the Buddhas told that only less beings, after having gained a human existence, a good existence, do not fall upwardly after that.
So it's good to stay always at the Save Bet
, and even Arahats still stick to it:- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -
"And how is one made pure in three ways by mental action? There is the case where a certain person is not covetous. He does not covet the belongings of others, thinking, 'O, that what belongs to others would be mine!' He bears no ill will and is not corrupt in the resolves of his heart. [He thinks,] 'May these beings be free from animosity, free from oppression, free from trouble, and may they look after themselves with ease!' He has right view and is not warped in the way he sees things: 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are brahmans & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made pure in three ways by mental action."
— AN 10.176
Anumodana punna kusala