As a Buddhist, I wish to share the basic Buddhist tenets that apply to the ethical standards of the law profession.
Siddhata Gotama, the Buddha, taught four noble truths: the truth of suffering; the truth of the cause of suffering; the truth of the cessation of suffering; and the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.
He taught the noble eight-fold path that leads to the cessation of suffering: right understanding; right thought; right speech; right action; right livelihood; right effort; right meditation; and right concentration.
Rebirth means suffering. As long as mind and matter exist, i.e., the psycho-physical conditions and process of life in all sentient beings in all realms of existence, desire exists. Desire is the cause of suffering. Detachment means cessation of suffering.
Greed, hate, and ignorance are grounded on psycho-physical processes of mind and body that produces desire and sensation. Supplemented by envy, jealousy, and conceit, they all collectively constitute the causes of suffering of all sentient beings in all realms of existence, regardless of one’s status, race, creed, religion, gender, and profession. They are the five poisons of the mind.
Suffering is universal. Its causes are universal. And liberation from suffering is possible.
Unless one masters the mind by meditation and concentration – which develop detachment, awareness and equanimity under all circumstances -- he would continue to be stuck in the quagmire of suffering, caused by greed, hate, ignorance, envy, jealousy, and pride.
The four qualities of a pure mind are loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
Loving kindness is selflessness of the mind and heart. Compassion is mercy for suffering sentient beings in all realms of existence. Sympathetic joy is happiness in the success and good fortunes of others. Equanimity is detached awareness and observation of the workings of mind and body. It masters the causes of suffering by observing, with detachment and non-reaction, the psycho-physical phenomena that manifest in the form of sensations in the body.
When one observes and is aware at all times of the sensations in his body and the thoughts in his mind, he realizes that all phenomena are transient, temporary, and impermanent, and that it is ignorant and stupid of him to crave for and cling to things, thoughts, views, and phenomena that do not last.
Nothing lasts forever. Nothing is eternal. Everything is impermanent.
In daily life, one must practice the Five Precepts: to abstain from killing any being; , to abstain from stealing; to abstain from sexual misconduct; to abstain from wrong speech; and to abstain from all intoxicants. They are the most basic rules of Buddhist morality and ethics.
A practitioner of the Truth trains himself by mastering the morality of his conduct, by practicing meditation and concentration with discipline, and by aiming for ultimate enlightenment that will liberate him from suffering.
It is enlightenment that liberates sentient beings from the cycles of rebirths and suffering.
An enlightened being is guided by the three characteristics of existence and phenomena: impermanence, suffering, and non-self. Realizing their truth, he attains wisdom.
An enlightened sentient being works hard to achieve the ten mental perfections: renunciation; morality; effort; tolerance; truthfulness; strong determination; wisdom; equanimity; selfless love; and generosity.
Atty. Manuel J. Laserna Jr.
lcmlaw@gmail.com
