Friday, February 3, 2012

Cambodian authority and Decho must use the prowess of Dhamma or law, not the prowess of personality, to protect Cambodian citizens

It is a tragedy while the government and their leaders have been bragging on economic growth, national development, peace and prosperity after the dark cloud of civil war and brutality ended, many bottom-line people like the residents of Borei Keila have continuously been humiliated by such "development rhetoric". Listen to the video clip below, a woman said "is this the development in the age of Decho?". It is shameful for Decho to be heard like this. Hence, this plague has happened every where around the world, not only Cambodia, if the top leader is not having proper conduct and moral attitude in the Dhamma. Dhamma means rule of laws, not rule of personality. As our observation remarked, our Decho has always proliferated his personality to judge and decide all issues happening in Cambodian society.

Buddha has been known as an Enlightened personality, but Buddha has never claimed himself as the central personality in deciding and determining any controversial issues. Dhamma and Vinaya which have been well promulgated for public use is the guideline, the tool for proper decision making and substantial rule for every one regardless of their status, entity or tendencies etc. However, Cambodian Buddhists are sadden and sad when their top leader has been using personality to judge and make a decision with all things. Recent public talk of Decho about ordering his Ohna colleague to arrest the violators inside his company who shot innocent protesters in Kratie because of their curiosity on the land grab, is not right on the proper practice of the Dhamma or the rule of law. Decho must follow the rule of law, he couldn't use his prowess to overlapped or undermine the existing law.

Cambodian law has solemnly condemned and punished those who committed violence and perpetrated illegal activities. Cambodian authority and Decho must use the prowess of the Dhamma/law, not the prowess of personality, in order to stop humiliating our own race and innocent Cambodian citizens.



3 comments:

  1. Kinds of speech to be avoided by contemplatives

    "Whereas some priests and contemplatives, living off food given in faith, are addicted to talking about lowly topics such as these — talking about kings, robbers, ministers of state; armies, alarms, and battles; food and drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, and scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the countryside; women and heroes; the gossip of the street and the well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity [philosophical discussions of the past and future], the creation of the world and of the sea, and talk of whether things exist or not — he abstains from talking about lowly topics such as these. This, too, is part of his virtue.

    "Whereas some priests and contemplatives, living off food given in faith, are addicted to debates such as these — 'You understand this doctrine and discipline? I'm the one who understands this doctrine and discipline. How could you understand this doctrine and discipline? You're practicing wrongly. I'm practicing rightly. I'm being consistent. You're not. What should be said first you said last. What should be said last you said first. What you took so long to think out has been refuted. Your doctrine has been overthrown. You're defeated. Go and try to salvage your doctrine; extricate yourself if you can!' — he abstains from debates such as these. This, too, is part of his virtue."

    — DN 2

    Ten wholesome topics of conversation

    "There are these ten topics of [proper] conversation. Which ten? Talk on modesty, on contentment, on seclusion, on non-entanglement, on arousing persistence, on virtue, on concentration, on discernment, on release, and on the knowledge & vision of release. These are the ten topics of conversation.

    — AN 10.69

    How to admonish another skillfully

    "Are the Patimokkhas [rules of conduct for monks and nuns] in full thoroughly learned by heart, well-analyzed with thorough knowledge of their meanings, clearly divided sutta by sutta and known in minute detail by me...?

    "These five conditions must be investigated in himself.

    "And what other five conditions must be established in himself?

    [1] "Do I speak at the right time, or not?

    [2] "Do I speak of facts, or not?

    [3] "Do I speak gently or harshly?

    [4] "Do I speak profitable words or not?

    [5] "Do I speak with a kindly heart, or inwardly malicious?

    "O bhikkhus, these five conditions are to be investigated in himself and the latter five established in himself by a bhikkhu who desires to admonish another."

    — AN V


    Sati!
    _()_

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  2. ...

    "And how are there four kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct? Here someone speaks falsehood: ... tell what you know,' then, not knowing, he says 'I know,' or knowing, he says 'I do not know,' not seeing, he says 'I see,' or seeing, he says 'I do not see'; in full awareness he speaks falsehood for his own ends or for another's ends or for some trifling worldly end. He speaks maliciously: he is a repeater elsewhere of what is heard here for the purpose of causing division from these, or he is a repeater to these of what is heard elsewhere for the purpose of causing division from those, and he is thus a divider of the united, a creator of divisions, who enjoys discord, rejoices in discord, delights in discord, he is a speaker of words that create discord. He speaks harshly: he utters such words as are rough, hard, hurtful to others, censorious of others, bordering on anger and unconducive to concentration. He is a gossip: as one who tells that which is unseasonable, that which is not fact, that which is not good, that which is not the Dhamma, that which is not the Discipline, and he speaks out of season speech not worth recording, which is unreasoned, indefinite, and unconnected with good. That is how there are four kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.

    ...

    13. "And how are there four of verbal conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone, abandoning false speech, becomes one who abstains from false speech: ...and questioned as a witness thus, 'So, good man, tell what you know,' not knowing, he says 'I do not know,' or knowing, he says 'I know,' not seeing he says 'I do not see,' or seeing, he says 'I see'; he does not in full awareness speak falsehood for his own ends or for another's ends or for some trifling worldly end. Abandoning malicious speech, he becomes one who abstains from malicious speech: as one who is neither a repeater elsewhere of what is heard here for the purpose of causing division from these, nor a repeater to these of what is heard elsewhere for the purpose of causing division from those, who is thus a reuniter of the divided, a promoter of friendships, enjoying concord, rejoicing in concord, delighting in concord, he becomes a speaker of words that promote concord. Abandoning harsh speech, he becomes one who abstains from harsh speech: he becomes a speaker of such words as are innocent, pleasing to the ear and lovable, as go to the heart, are civil, desired of many and dear to many. Abandoning gossip, he becomes one who abstains from gossip: as one who tells that which is seasonable, that which is factual, that which is good, that which is the Dhamma, that which is the Discipline, he speaks in season speech worth recording, which is reasoned, definite and connected with good. That is how there are four kinds of verbal conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.

    ... Here someone is not covetous: he is not a coveter of another's chattels and property thus: 'Oh, that what is another's were mine!' He has no mind of ill-will, with the intention of a mind unaffected by hate thus: 'May these beings be free from enmity, affliction and anxiety, may they live happily!' ....
    ...That is how there are three kinds of mental conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.

    "So, householders, it is by reason of conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, by reason of righteous conduct, that some beings here, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world.

    ...The Brahmans of Sala

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  3. Dear friends,

    as Meak Bochea is soon, I thought it's good to remember the sutta given on this day:

    Ovāda-pāṭimokkha Gāthā

    Patient forbearance is the foremost austerity.
    Liberation is foremost: that's what the Buddhas say.
    He is no monk who injures another;
    nor a contemplative, he who mistreats another.

    The non-doing of any evil,
    The performance of what's skillful,
    The cleansing of one's own mind:
    This is the Buddhas' teaching.

    Not disparaging, not injuring,
    Restraint in line with the monastic code,
    Moderation in food,
    Dwelling in seclusion,
    Commitment to the heightened mind:
    This is the Buddhas' teaching.


    _()_

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