“Watch Your Deeds” Says Lord Buddha

Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

Nepalis have a saying "Karma ko fal" means the results of deeds. No matter what we do we will have the results of our actions. Even if we do not do anything we will have the results of not doing anything. We will have good or bad results depending upon what we do. The universal truth is everyone does for himself or herself.

Mediums of deeds: Humans have mind, speech and body: the three mediums through which we can do something. Mind is the foremost important among the three mediums. Then speech or body is the next.  Every human action comes in the mind first and thereafter the thinking is turned into speeches or actions.

Mind: Mind is the main instrument of the human actions. Therefore, our thought should be right so that our speeches and actions follow the right thinking. Contemplation of doing something wrong to others is a sin. When we think of doing something bad to others our mind becomes defiled and the result is harmful. The defiled mind becomes heavy. Heavy mind is always unhealthy. Unhealthy mind develops wrong speeches and hurtful actions.

Unhealthy mind cannot have a healthy body. Thinking of doing something unfavorable to others develops a pressure in the mind. This pressure causes bio-chemical reactions in the body. Those reactions produce bio-chemical fluids that cause various diseases in the body.

Therefore, keeping the mind healthy is a prerequisite for a healthy body. We always need to think the wellbeing of all, be compassionate to all and be considerate to all; all these things will keep our mind healthy.

Speech: Speech is the second instrument through which humans do something.  Humans express their thoughts in speeches. We can talk nicely or harshly about others and can be polite or rough depending upon how our mind thinks. Rough and harsh speeches are sickly. A mentally healthy person will never talk wrong about anyone. Displeasing speeches do not do well to anyone. Such speeches are harmful to all. Lies, backbites and speaking ill of others are the examples of evil speeches.

Once we speak out, our words will go beyond our control. An ordinary person cannot read our mind but our speeches expose our thinking and we cannot take back our words once they are spoken out. Our thinking remains under our control until we speak them out.

We always need to watch what we are speaking and what we are going to speak. We need to comprehend what will be the impact of our speeches on others and what we will have the results of such speeches.

A mentally healthy person will always be polite, humble and kind to all. Such a person will be well received by all and will even be respected by enemies. No one will be able to hurt such a person.

Body: Body is the third medium through which humans do something. Any action of ours if it harms other means a wrong deed. Such an action shall certainly hurt us too. For example, producing and selling cigarettes and alcohol (except for medical purposes) are bad deeds because uses of those two things will damage the users' health. Advertising those two products in radio, TVs and newspapers for luring people to use those things are also a harmful deed.

Even if people do not find and feel the harmful deeds of producing and selling harmful products at the present time, the effects of such harmful deeds will continue to affect the future generation of those people. Therefore, we should not engage in such deeds no matter what monetary profits they bring to us. We should never do anything that will hurt others.

Results of Deeds: Humans act through mind, speech and body (speech also is a bodily action but for the sake of clarity we separate it from other bodily actions). No matter what we think, what we speak and what we do, we will have the results of such deeds. Some results are immediate others take time. The result is automatic.  No one can escape from getting the results.

Lord Krishna in his famous discourse called Bhagawat Gita explained to Arjun that Arjun should perform his duty without anticipating the results because results will follow the deeds automatically.

We need to be careful not to do anything by mind, speech or body that will harm others. The adverse results of such actions are immediate. Some people cannot see or feel those results; hence, they continue to do wrong things and they continue to be on the wrong track.

Everyone does for himself or herself. The nature has made everyone selfish. This is done so to preserve everyone on this earth. Species of living beings unable to be selfish disappear forever. Therefore, if we do something good or bad things to others means we are doing those things for ourselves not for others because we are going to enjoy the results of such deeds. We will never do anything wrong to others if we can comprehend it that we are doing everything for ourselves.

Association: We can easily recognize a person’s habits from his/her associates. Habit is contagious. Habit of one person is easily transmitted to another. Friends and associates have common habit and interest. Therefore, we can comprehend the habit of a person from the habit of his/her friends. We need to be careful to watch with whom we have friendship and association. We will do good things if we associate with good people, and we will do inappropriate things if we associate with wrong people.

Reactions: We tend to react immediately. We become happy if someone appreciates our works or praises us. However, we react vigorously when someone criticizes us. We forget that often the person criticizing us does better to us than the person praising us. Therefore, it is better to watch than react to what others say and do. Immediate reactions to others’ doing or saying bring adverse results than watching them. Sometimes mind, speech and body react simultaneously to others’ doing or saying so fast we do not have much time to think what we are saying and doing. We need to put our mind into practicing to see such reactions occurring in our daily lives.

Conclusion: We need to do good things through mind, speech and body in order to be on the right track. Doing good things through mind is to be a softhearted person; doing good things through speech is to be polite to all and doing good things through body is not to hurt anyone physically, verbally or by any other means.  It is not so simple to do so; therefore, we always need to watch our deeds done by mind, speech and body and practice it throughout our life.

Note: Posted on ‘Kathamndumetro.com’ on the occasion of the celebration of 2553rd anniversary of Lord Buddha on May 9, 2009.