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stead of being able to tell what virtues that person really 
has. The only way we have any chance of seeing 
through to the real value of people is if we make a 
specific effort to look for the good qualities in people. 
However, we have a tendency not to do this. Because 
we have a certain arrogance, thinking that we will 
always be better than others, often we overlook the 
good in anyone else. If we are not even able to see the 
goodness in others, what chance do we have to emulate 
that goodness for ourselves? Some people are blind to 
the goodness in others because they do not look for it 
— or they assume themselves to be superior — or the 
goodness in others is often not manifest — and even 
when their virtues are manifest, they are veiled from 
our own perceptions by the impurities in our minds. In 
order to overcome possible blindness in the mind we 
therefore need to focus on respect and how to cultivate 
it. 
B. RESPECT 
B.1 Definitions 
Respect means to open up sincerely to the ways in 
which others are (in truth) more valuable or important 
than yourself and by expressing sincere and humble 
praise deserved by others with body, speech and mind 
— whether you are in their presence or not — as a way 
of showing that the person expressing respect 
appreciates and is cognizant of the good deeds of 
another — voluntarily without being forced to show 
such respect. Respect is easy to understand if we say 
that is is the opposite of finding fault with others. If you 
look at the epistemology of the word 'respect' you will 
find that it is made up of two parts "re" and 
"spect"."Spect" means 'to look'. "Re" means 'to do 
something again'.Thus the meaning of the word 
'respect' is 'to look at something a second time' — but 
specifically to find the good qualities of something. 
Such a definition helps us not to confuse 'respect' with 
its near neighbour 'expressing respect'. Such 
behaviours as bowing may be sincere but often they are 
not. A soldier's salute, for example, doesn't mean he 
has respect for the person he salutes — the key factor 
which makes respect useful in the cultivation of virtue 
is the attitude behind the re 
spectful behaviour. 
Having emphasised so much on the attitude of respect, 
the reader might be tempted to think it is superfluous to 
bow or express respect — in fact many think that 
having respectful thoughts is good enough. However, 
expressing respect is also useful in itself (see objectives 
below for further details) — because it helps to reduce 
ones' selfish views, cultivates humility and lends value 
to the cultivation of virtue in any society. For a young 
child taught from an early age to bow in respect to 
monks, parents, elders and teachers — in the beginning 
it might be an automatic response out of a child's blind 
faith or obedience. However, when expressing such re-
spect becomes habitual, later when the child is older 
and more reflective, it will start to ask itself the ques-
tion, "what's so great about my parents or teachers or 
spiritual teachers that makes them worthy of such 
respect?" and at that time the child will start to look for 
the virtue in those people — which is the fully-fledged 
attitude of respect. 
B.2 Objectives of expressing respect 
The reasons we show respect are in order to: 
1. To show that we have real respect for that person 
both in body and mind 
2. To reinforce the goodness of that person: When you 
pay respect to someone it forces the person on the 
receiving end of the respect to reflect whether they are 
worthy or not of such respect 
— if they feel embarrassed by the respect because of 
their lack of virtue, before long they will feel 
motivated to improve themselves. Teachers, for 
example often forget that their duty consists of both 
parts, both of which he need to be fulfilled in order 
to qualify for the respect of their students: 
I. The duty to explain (i.e. teach a subject in theory) 
2. The duty to exemplify (especially the moral 
useage of the subject he teaches) 
3. To perpetuate humane culture 
4. To reduce your own selfish views 
5. To train yourself in human relations 
6. To publicize the goodness of yourself and the 
person who is object to your respect. 
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Those who express respect have the wisdom to seek for 
goodness in others. If someone shows you respect you 
will know that that person is someone of developed 
virtue — they have at least the makings of wisdom. If 
you too are smart, when someone treats you with 
respect, you will treat them with respect too. It is a 
foolish person who ignores or patronizes someone else 
who shows them respect. Not to acknowledge another's 
respect is as good as saying, "I'm so dumb and devoid 
of wisdom that I can see no good in you!" The fear to 
express respect to others or to acknowledge the respect 
shown to one is usually rooted in the assumption that it 
will belittle one's grandeur or allow others to appear 
more important than oneself. Such hankering after 
self-importance and hunger for deference by others 
unfortunately blinds one's mind to the goodness in 
others. 
C. OBJECTS OF RESPECT 
Cl Spiritual objects of respect 
The Buddha 
taught (AppamAda Sutta A.iv.27; 
Kimmila Sutta A.iv.84; Saklcacca Sutta A.iv.I20) that 
there are seven objects of respect in the spiritual world 
which are so full of virtues that even if a person is 
unable to appreciate the value of virtue at the outset, the 
effort to show respect will soon be rewarded by an 
appreciation of virtue (a process already described in 
the Third Blessing). These are spiritual objects of 
respect which are so valuable to the world that no-one 
can afford to overlook the good they exemplify: 
I. the Buddha (a personality) 
2. the Dhamma (a phenomenon) 
3. the Salgha (personalities) 
4. education (a phenomenon) 
5. meditation (a practice) 
6. non-recklessness (a practice) 
7. hospitality (a phenomenon) All of these things have 
such a decisive influence over our own well-being that 
we cannot afford to 
overlook them. If we have no respect for these things it 
is hard to appreciate any lesser virtue. 
CLL The Lord Buddha 
We need to have respect for the Buddha, because he 
has nothing but goodness, we can really look as 
deep as we like and we will find no end to his virtue. 
If anybody is able to instill themselves with the virtues 
which the Buddha had, they will themselves be worthy of 
respect. Anyone whose mind is blind to the virtues of the 
Buddha will find it very difficult to achieve success or 
happiness in life. 
There are different ways of expressing one's respect to 
the Buddha which depend on whether the Buddha is 
still alive or has already passed away. When the Lord 
Buddha was still alive, disciples would pay respect by: 
I. going for audience with the Buddha three times a day 
— or if lay Buddhists, would pay respect to the Buddha 
by going for audience with the Buddha regularly; 
2. not wearing shoes when the Buddha was barefoot; 
3. not walking in a place higher than where the Buddha 
was standing; 
4. not sitting in a place higher than where the Buddha 
was sitting; 
5. (for monks) not wearing one's robe in a manner as to 
cover both shoulders when the Buddha was robed with 
one shoulder open. (to cover both shoulders in the time 
of the Buddha was the manner of dressing of a leader 
— thus if the Buddha was already sitting as president in 
any particular place with one shoulder 'open' it would 
not be suitable for others to keep both shoulders 
covered). 
6. not putting up an umbrella or parasol within the 
Buddha's sight if the Buddha had not already done so; 
7. not passing water or defecating within the Bud 
dha's sight. When the Buddha had entered 
ParinibbAna, different ways of paying respect became 
applicable: 
I. respecting the pagoda containing the Buddha's 
relics; 
2. paying respect at the four holy sites of Buddhism 
[saOvejanEyaEEhAna] the places as which the Buddha 
was born, enlightened, gave his first sermon and passed 
away into ParinibbAna; 
3. paying respect to Buddha images or anointing 
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the Buddha image with water on the appropriate 
occasion; 
4. paying respect before the main shrine of a temple 
when arriving and before leaving; 
5. not wearing shoes in pagoda grounds; 
6. not putting up an umbrella or parasol in the pagoda 
grounds; 
7. not chattering while walking in the pagoda grounds; 
8. taking down one's umbrella or parasol and removing 
one's shoes when entering the grounds of a temple (or 
for monks to change one's manner of robing from that 
of covering both shoulders to that of exposing one 
shoulder when entering the temple) and maintaining 
modesty and composure from the time one enters the 
temple compound; 
9. practising what the Lord Buddha taught. 
C.1.2. The Dhamma 
The Dhamma is the collective name for all that the 
Buddha taught about the nature of life and the world. It 
is also a pathway which if followed will lead to an end 
of suffering. Even the Lord Buddha himself paid 
respect to the Dhamma. He respected the teaching so 
much that his final words were to declare, not a person, 
but the Dhamma (together with the monastic code of 
conduct [vinaya]) as successor to Buddhism after his 
passing. 
I. never missing opportunity to listen to Dhamma 
teachings 
2. listening to Dhamma teachings attentively, peacefully 
and with composure — rather than falling asleep or 
picking one's fingernails during the teaching 
3. taking respectful care of books containing Dhamma 
teachings — not shoving them in trouser pockets, 
putting them on the floor or in places where they will 
get dirty or wet and not putting other things (like cups 
of coffee) down on top of them; 
4. You should not make fun of the Dhamma — and if 
one has the opportunity to teach the Dhamma to others, 
it should be taught accurately. 
C.1.3. The Salgha 
The Salgha were those who have trained themselves 
and help to teach others to follow in their footsteps. We 
can pay respect to the Salgha by: 
I. Bowing and saluting with composure in the pres-
ence of monks; 
2. Sitting with composure when in the presence of 
monks (rather than sitting hugging one's knees, for 
example); 
3. Not putting on shoes or putting up umbrellas in the 
middle of the monastic community; 
4. Not making exaggerated gestures (such as waving 
one's arms and legs immodestly) when in the presence 
of monks; 
5. Not standing, walking, lying or sitting in a way 
impedes or encroaches upon monks; 
6. Not boasting of Dhamma knowledge or answering 
questions on Dhamma unless specifically invited to do 
so by the most senior monk; 
7. looking after the monks needs with a faithful heart; 
8. receiving monks hospitably with appropriate gifts of 
requisites. 
C.1.4. Education 
Education in both spiritual and worldly ways is 
necessary for one's welfare doesn't mean bowing to 
your pencil and jotter. It means being sincere in your 
studies (not reckless). You must not take the attitude 
that you already know it all. If you study then try to get 
to the core of the thing you are studying. 
C.J.S. Meditation 
People might be very respectful towards the Triple 
Gem and education, but they can never expect to attain 
enlightenment unless they get down to the practice of 
meditation too. It is necessary to remind oneself 
constantly of the benefits of practising meditation and 
express one's respect by practising meditation regularly 
for as long as one can. Meditation is vital to the 
cultivation of virtue. It is the last and most important 
link of the Eightfold path that will bring the mind to 
successful attainment in meditation. It is irreplaceable 
for all who wish to know the real meaning of the 
Dhamma as explained by 
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the Threefold Training [ti-sikkhA] — the heart of the 
Buddhist teaching consisting of self-discipline [sEla], 
meditation [samAdhi] and wisdom [patulA] 
— which will lead to the liberation of Nirvana. We cultivate 
self-discipline in order to avoid the evil that might otherwise 
cloud the mind and impede our mind from entering upon 
meditation. Meditation is in turn the foundation of wisdom. 
Thus meditation is the prime principle in the cultivation of all 
sons of virtue, especially removing defilements from the 
mind and entry upon Nirvana. Some people refuse to 
meditate, but try to attain enlightenment exclusively by 
reading about it. Unfortunately, no matter how much they 
read, they have no chance of coming closer to enlightenment, 
because all their theoretical knowledge, can do nothing to 
help an inner sphere of knowing to arise in the mind unless 
the mind is directed inwards ... 
Thus don't go believing anyone who tells you that 
meditation is superfluous to Buddhist practice. It 
contradicts the Buddha's own words and it does not 
correspond which the example set throughout his life 
by the Buddha himself. 
C.1.6. Non-recklessness 
Those who are not reckless will habitually be mindful 
of: 
I. Abstaining from evil 
2. Doing good deeds 
3. Remind ourselves of the suffering of the hell realms 
that awaits us in the case we do evil. 
4. Recall the suffering that arises from birth, sickness, 
old age and death. 
5. Recall our object of meditation the whole of the 
time. All of these things are equivalent to having 
respect for yourself. 
C.1.7. Hospitality 
Hospitality is helping to fill the gaps. Sometimes when 
we are taking care of other people, it is hard to please 
them in every respect. However, if guests come to our 
own house and the reception we provide for them is 
still lacking, then we may well be criticized for it. We 
must try to fill the gaps so that there is no 
remainingthing which others could criticize us for as 
being inhospitable. This doesn't just 
mean being friendly to guests, but it means training 
everybody in our circle of influence who might receive 
guests in our place (e.g. sons & daughters, subordinates 
or housemaids). Hospitality is very important if you 
want to be a pillar of society. Hospitality means (A.i.93, 
Vbh.360): 
1. Material Hospitality [Amisa-paEisanthAra]: re-
ceiving people with the material things they need. Even 
if they have come to your house to borrow your money 
don't refuse them completely (but might not give as 
much as they ask). 
2. Spiritual Hospitality [dhamma-paEisanthAra]: 
talking about thngs that are useful for the guest's 
spiritual transformation instead of talking about things 
which they don't want to hear — or useless things. 
If we are able to cultivate respect for these seven 
objects (of §C. 1), before long we will gain the ability to 
see the virtue not only in these objects, but in 
everybody around us in the world — whether they are 
spiritually inclined or not. The habit of finding fault 
with others will gradually recede. 
C2 Secular Objects of Respect 
In daily life, it is not only the seven objects of §C.l 
which we should show our respect towards. Virtue 
exists in many places, even the mundane world, and the 
Buddha advised us also to have respect for the 
following secular personages. Such personages are 
especially worthy of respect if in turn they have respect 
for the seven objects already mentioned: 
I. Kings or national leaders who are established in the 
Ten Virtues of a Monarch (see Blessing 16, §C.2): 
2. Parents (for the part of them that is virtuous): Sup-
posing they are robbers and get put in jail, maybe you 
will send food for them. 
3. Teachers and Preceptors (who have virtue) 
4. Elders 
5. Older brothers or sisters should be respected by 
younger brothers or sisters 
6. Younger brothers and sisters (who have exceptional 
virtue) 
For these secular objects of respect, the following are 
appropriate ways in which respect can be expressed: 
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I. Clearing the way for that person to pass. 
2. Standing up to receive the person 
3. Holding your hands in a gesture of respect 
4. Bowing 
D. ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES 
D. I Metaphor: Cavemen frozen for their ignorance 
Arthur C. Clarke once observed that cave dwellers 
froze to death on beds of coal. Coal was right under 
them, but they didn't notice it, or have the knowledge to 
mine it or use it. Not knowing the beneficial qualities of 
a resource can cost you your life. In the same way, 
without the respect to wake you up to the virtues latent 
in the people standing right next to you might cost you 
your the path of spiritual progess. 
D.2 Er. Tittira Atoka (J.37) 
There were three animals a pigeon, a monkey and an 
elephant which lived in a banyan tree. They showed no 
respect or consideration for each other. The elephant 
thought it was the best because it was the biggest. It 
would scratch itself against the tree so roughly that all 
the other animals would fall out of the tree. It would 
trumpet so loudly that it would wake up all the others. 
The monkey was no less inconsiderate. It thought it was 
the best because it was fast and could climb the tree 
more quickly than the others. It would throw a red-ant's 
nest down on the elephant if it was dissatisfied. If it was 
bored it would destroy the pigeon's nest just for fun. 
The pigeon said nothing but did a dropping on the mon-
key's head. Also the pigeon would coo loudly whenever 
it felt like it. In the end, none of the three animals could 
get a proper night's sleep. The three animals met 
together to decide what to do because, if they carried on 
being inconsiderate like this indefinitely, they would 
surely all die. They decided to respect each other 
according to age. They didn't have a way of counting 
the years so they all compared themselves to the history 
of the tree. The elephant said that his first memory of 
the tree was when the tree was only as high as his navel 
(a metre high). The monkey's first memory of the tree 
was when it could sit on the ground and nibble the 
top of the tree (six inches high). The bird said that he 
could remember the tree since it had still not sprouted. 
Therefore the bird was oldest followed by the monkey 
followed by the elephant. Now each animal could put 
its own goodness to work. The bird would get up in the 
morning and fly up high into the sky to see which part 
of the forest where the fruit was ripe. Now the elephant 
and monkey didn't have to guess where the fruit was 
any more. The monkey and the bird would sit on the 
back of the elephant and go to where the fruit was ripe. 
Now instead of the elephant having to wait for the fruit 
to drop, the monkey would climb the tree and collect 
the fruit for the other two. They would pick so much 
fruit and put it on the back of the elephant that they 
could store fruit at the bottom of the banyan tree so that 
the next day they wouldn't have to go looking for food 
any more. Because of the benefit of respect according 
to seniority in bringing forth the goodness in every 
person, even in the monastic community, monks respect 
one another according to seniority and the older monks 
have the duty to teach the younger. 
D.3 Er. SAriputta jumping canals 
The elder monk SAriputta, who was second only to the 
Buddha for wisdom, still had certain faults remaining 
even though he was already an arahant. When he led the 
other monks on almsround, instead of using bridges to 
cross canals in his path, he would jump across the canal. 
If he led a group of monks for dhutaiga practice, he 
would like to hang up his umbrella not at ground level, 
but at the top of a tree. Some people asked the Buddha, 
"With all these strange habits, is it true that SAriputta is 
really an arahant?" The Buddha confirmed that 
SAriputta was really an arahant. They asked, "Then 
why does he still jump across canals and camp at the 
top of trees?" The Buddha replied, "SAriputta is really 
an arahant, but even so,there are some deeply 
engrained aspects of his character that being an arahant 
has not changed — because he has spent many lifetimes 
as a monkey." 
D.4 a Pilindavaccha says 'peasant' 
There was another arahant Pilindavaccha who, 
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whenever he met someone, would call them with the 
words, "you peasant" [vasala]. If you didn't deserve 
such a title and you got called 'a peasant' every day, it 
would surely become very irritating, even for the most 
patient of people. To him, whether they were aristo-
crats or kings they were all 'peasants' to him. A large 
number of people asked, if Pilindavaccha was really an 
arahant or not, with such disrespect for everyone 
he met. The Buddha confirmed that he was really an 
arahant, but that again he had certain engrained aspects 
of his character, too deep to change — because 
Pilindavaccha had been born only as a king and as an 
emperor continuously for many lifetimes. Even as an 
am hant, it is still possible to have faults — so what 
about the humble likes of ourselves who have still not 
made much progress in our Dhamma practice? 
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Blessing Twenty-Three: 
Humility 
A. INTRODUCTION 
A.I Introduction to Blessing Twenty-Three 
There are many obstacles which may stand in the way of 
our acquisition of higher virtue. As already mentioned, 
virtue does not exist unpackaged, but comes as part and 
parcel of the people who are endowed with them. If we are 
unable to see deeply enough into the qualities of people —
if we judge them only on superficial appearances, we 
might overlook their deeper worth. By overlooking their 
qualities, we tend to assume they have less than us 
— and when we assume ourselves to be superior, 
arrogance becomes our normal state of mind. 
A.2 Things which people tend to measure their worth 
in terms of 
Arrogant people tend to measure their worth in terms of 
superficial things (a completer list of twelve items is 
available at Nti.80]) such as: 
I. Their family: Some are born with a silver spoon in 
their mouths and thus tend to think, "I come from a 
large and influential family. I am descended from 
celebrities. I can get away with anything I want. No-one 
else can even compare with me." Thinking such, a 
person tends to look down on everyone else. However, 
in reality coming from an influential family does 
nothing to guarantee a bright future for oneself. It is 
often even harder than for an `unknown person' for 
someone from a famous family to learn to stand on their 
own two feet or establish an independ 
ent reputation. It has been said that the children who 
are constantly namedropping or using their parent's 
importance as an excuse to do devious things will 
eventually come to grief. Eventually when they 
listen to no-one's advice, they will be beyond help; 
Z Their wealth: Some tend to think, "I am exceedingly 
wealthy. There is nothing I can't afford to buy or do. 
There is no reason why I should show any deference to 
anyone else — or show anyone any consideration." 
Thinking such, a person tends to look down on 
everyone else. In reality wealth does nothing to 
guarantee a bright future for oneself. Just by making a 
few slip-ups in their accounts today's rich can become 
tomorrow's paupers and debtors. Even if you manage to 
keep your riches until the end of your life, you cannot 
take them with you when you go. If you don't 
appreciate applying your wealth for the cultivation of 
good deeds, even though you may be wealthy, it will 
not help you to escape from suffering in life. The richer 
you are, the more worries you will have — out of fear 
your riches will disappear or be stolen. 
3. The beauty of their appearance: Some people tend 
to think, "I am more attractive than anyone else. 
No-one comes close to me in beauty — my skin is so 
fine, my nose shows breeding, my eyes are rounded —
even Miss Universe would be jealous." Thinking such, 
a person tends to look down on everyone else. 
However, in reality an 
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attractive appearance does nothing to guarantee a 
bright future for oneself. People may be attracted to 
one for the wrong reasons and even if you live to 
seventy you can be sure your beauty won't! 
4. Their knowledge and experience: Some people 
think, "I am so smart I have a Masters' Degree. I have 
obtained even the degrees that everyone says are so 
tough to obtain. I am cleverer than anyone else." 
Thinking such, a person tends to look down on 
everyone else. In reality academic knowledge does 
nothing to guarantee a bright future for oneself —
because knowledge in the hands of a fool can lead to 
disaster. 
5. Their rank or position: Some tend to think, I hold 
such a high rank in the armed forces or have a 
managerial position in the civil service therefore 
everyone else should listen to me! Thinking such, a 
person tends to look down on everyone else. However, 
in reality rank does nothing to guarantee a bright future 
for oneself. Positions come with responsibilities and if 
we don't have the virtues requisite for fulfilling those 
duties, those ranks or titles can be our downfall —
mining our reputation. Moreover, there is nothing to 
guarantee security of our position forever. 
6. The number of followers: Some tend to think, "I 
have so many friends and followers that no-one would 
dare to mess with me!" Thinking such, a person tends to 
look down on everyone else. However, in reality the 
number of our friends and followers does nothing to 
ensure a bright future for oneself. If we don't know how 
to choose wise friends and are interested in nothing 
more that popularity — those friends can become our 
downfall. Furthermore, even if we have many friends 
and followers in the present day, there is nothing to 
guarantee that we will be able to keep them for ever. 
We tend to measure our worth in terms of these six 
factors while at the back of our mind, common sense 
tells us that none of these six things can stay with us 
permanently. All of these things are impermanent —
and they don't really belong to us. Many are just 
conceptual phenomena which happen to have value in 
the eyes of society in this particular 
day and age. They are assets which can be of benefit to 
us only as long as we practise a particular duty in the 
social structure. If you examine what we can actually 
call our own — you will eventually find that all we can 
call our own are the good virtues we have cultivated in 
our hearts. 
You should ask yourself what you actually improve in 
yourself by looking down on the other people. Does it 
make others appreciate us more? — or does it irritate 
other people so that they will never want to do anything to 
help us a second time? It is like a person who wants to 
wants to be praised for their wealth and who behaves like 
a 'big-spender' in spite of the fact they cannot really 
afford to do so 
— because of their frivolous spending they go further 
and further into debt day-by-day as the price of their 
pretentiousness. 
Those who are really endowed with virtues will 
maintain their humility even when praised by others. 
Thus they will not allow self-pride to cause them to 
look down on others — for fear that they will lose the 
opportunity further to improve themselves. 
A3 Isn't humility just the same as respect? 
Respect and humility sometimes look as if they are the 
same virtue, but in fact there are many differences. 
Respect, as we have seen from the previous blessing, 
has already taught us to be active in our search for the 
virtues contained in others Respect is a virtue basedon 
the way we see others — a respectful person is 
someone who actively looks for the good things about 
other people instead of finding fault with them — and 
who expresses respect in their thoughts, words and 
deeds. They would be a person who is able to estimate 
peoples' worth according to reality rather than 
superficial appearances. 
Humility, by contrast, is a virtue based on the way we 
see ourselves — to be a humble person is to reflect on 
one's own weaknesses, finding fault with oneself and to 
estimating one's own worth according to reality rather 
than superficial appearances. A humble person is not 
someone to boast, but one who is able to show 
deference to others in order to maximize the amount of 
goodness absorbed from 
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them. A humble person does not overestimate 
themselves in terms of their good qualities in relation to 
others — to give ourselves the chance to learn from 
them. 
A respectful person is not necessarily a humble one. A person 
may be observant enough to see the good qualities 
exemplified by others (i.e. they have the quality of respect) 
but they might not be able bring themselves to show any 
deference to such a person in order to learn from them (i.e. 
they are not humble). Instead they always like to compare 
themselves to that person they respect in an unrealistically 
favourable light. They say to themselves, "even though you're 
the best at this, I'm the best at that — so I'm as good as you!" 
If they were a little less arrogant, even though they may 
already be good at one thing, they will always be looking to 
improve themselves at things they have not yet mastered —
instead of complacently sitting on their laurels. 
Thus, not to overestimate ourselves together with 
avoiding the arrogance of looking down on others (for 
whatever reason) is the subject to be dealt with by this 
Blessing. 
A.4 Damage from arrogance 
When we lose our humility, judging ow worth in 
superficial terms and arrogantly looking down on 
others, there are three sorts of harm it will bring to 
ourselves, others and society at large: 
I. Damage to yourself: You lose your opportunity to 
absorb goodness from others — estimating yourself too 
highly — you will tend to think you are already good 
enough and have no room for improvement. Looking at 
others you see no-one who matches your own talents. 
2. Damage to others: 
Often people's arrogance 
starts with good intentions. However their haughty 
discrimination will degenerate into being touchy about 
trivial things and they become the subject of 
disagreements which break up friendships. Like a 
pagoda with a narrow base which cannot be built very 
tall without toppling, arrogant people will not get far in 
teamwork. Because of the conflicts they always have, 
they will always prefer to work alone, so their life's 
achievements will never amount to much. In the 
words of the famous Buddhist master of meditation, 
Luang Phaw Wat Paknam: 
"to look down on others, even without realizing 
it, seeing others as weaker than oneself, 
speaking irreverendly to them, is like the gables 
of a house being burned by a fire which has 
spread from the lower storeys. Even in the 
smallest house fire will spread to the gables —
and in the same way, the resentment of juniors 
can destroy the person who governs them unless 
he is compassionate and wishes only happiness 
to those around him, especially those less 
privileged than himself" 
3. Damage to society at large: Arrogant people have 
many negative consequences for society, namely: 
I. breakdown allow and order: Arrogant people 
don't tend to respect the rules and always expect to 
be treated as the exception to the rule. Society will 
break down if it supports such people. 
2. disharmony, social instability and vulnerability to 
colonization: in a society where arrogance prevails, 
it will be difficult for any lasting harmony to come 
about. (see §D2, Like sandy broken soil even after 
the rain). The caste system in India in the olden days 
tended to make each caste arrogant and even when 
enemies were at the door such as the British 
colonists, instead of thinking to unite to defend the 
independance of their country, the superior castes all 
thought themselves too superior to deal with the 
practicality of national affairs 
— meanwhile the lower castes and the 
untouchables, although they saw the danger, 
shrugged their shoulders and reflected that if the 
worst came to the worst, it would teach the 
arrogant superior castes a good lesson. The castes 
were so busy arguing amongst themselves they 
failed to defend themselves against invaders who 
were many thousands of times less numerous than 
themselves. In dynastic China arrogance was 
often expressed 
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in terms of vengeance wrought by one family on 
another often many generations after the original 
provoking incident. In countries such as Thailand 
where humility is more well-regarded as a social 
virtue, although there may disagreements on a 
national level — even coup d'itat from time to 
time — the transitions usually take place with a 
minimum of bloodshed. In any community or 
society where humility prevails — even when a 
conflict should arise 
— before long people will be re-united again in 
harmony (see §D2, like a clay soil after the rain). 
These are all good reasons why we should 
cultivate humility. 
B. HUMILITY & ARROGANCE 
B./ Definition: Humility 
The word for humility in the Pali, 'nivAta' used in this 
blessing, actually means someone who is without ('ni') 
air ('vAta'). The word is applicable to someone who is 
not inflated by their own self-importance. 
B.2. Characteristics of Humility 
If you were able to see into the mind of a humble 
person, you would see the following characteristics: 
1. Freedom from false views: 
False 
views 
are 
ground assumptions about the nature of life and the world 
so negative or out of keeping with reality that they obscure 
any intention to cultivate oneself for the better. 
2. Freedom from self-pride and self-importance: 
Self-pride is the belief that you are always superior to 
others. Some people who are born in the aristocracy don't 
believe that the normal man-in the street can ever be his 
equal. Rich people look down on poor people. Town 
dwellers look down on 'country bumpkins' — in a 
nutshell people tend to be proud of themselves for the 
wrong reasons; 
3. Freedom from stubborness: The mind of a humble 
person is soft like greenwood (§D1) or like a piece of 
soft workable clay (¢D2). Not like a deadwood (§D1) 
or like a clod of sandy soil (§D2). This is the result of I 
and 2 above. 
4. Workableness of mind: whether the mind is soft or 
hard will be adapted appropriately to the situation. 
B.3 Characteristics of a humble person 
A humble person tends to behave as if they are of no 
importance. Their virtues speak for themselves 
— they don't need to advertise them. It is like a 
diamond which will always be a diamond whether you 
advertise it or not. A humble person doesn't need to 
show-off their strengths — to be stubborn or make a 
fuss. Because humble people know their own worth 
according to reality, they are characterised by three 
identifying features: 
1. Humility of action: a humble person is not arrogant 
in their body language or their manners — but at the 
same time they are not obsequious. They know how to 
make themselves endearing to others by their behaviour 
but at the same time they have confidence in 
themselves. It is someone who is always ready to mould 
themselves to the convenience of others like a piece of 
soft clay. They will be the person who can get along 
with everybody and fill the gaps in situations of social 
disharmony. They will be good-mannered to seniors 
and subordinates alike. They give things due respect 
rather than pretending that they are the equal of others 
out of their league. They are careful always to be 
consistent in their cultivated manners no matter what 
walk of society they are dealing with. They mould 
themselves favourably to any situation that will give 
rise to virtue or reduce bad habits. This is in stark 
contrast to the body language of arrogant people. 
Arrogant people will often be physically unable to bend 
their body to express humility (such as bowing or even 
lowering their head in deference). 
2. Humility of words: a humble person is not arrogant 
in the way they speak. Their words express the purity 
and good intention in their heart. Their words are soft 
rather than being provocative or boastful. They do not 
use their verbal skills to 'put others down'. If they 
should be responsible for a mistake, they will be quick 
to say 'sorry'. If they receive praise from others they 
will be quick 
EFTA00286725

to thank them for the complement. They don't make 
threats or tease others for making mistakes. If they see the 
good someone else has done, they will be quick to 
congratulate them for it. Because their thoughts are pure, 
the words that come from their mouths are only those 
which have already been well filtered and considered. The 
manner of their speech is gentle but not weak. They refer 
to people by their appropriate titles. Their speech is 
therefore endearing to all who hear it. This is in stark 
contrast to the rigid speech of arrogant people 
characterised by patronizing comments about others. They 
will never let others forget how they are related to the 
royal family or have a high rank in the civil service.The 
words they say are nauseating to all who hear them. 
3. Humility of mind: a humble person is not arrogant even in 
the way they think. They may be soft and gentle in their 
approach to all things, but it doesn't mean that they are weak 
or indecisive. Never complacent about their abilities, they will 
always be looking for ways to improve on them. They don't 
assume that they are always right — they are open to others' 
opinions. They don't get angry if they don't get their own 
way, but look for ways to adapt their thinking to the needs of 
others (within the limits of scrupulousness laid down by the 
Lord Buddha). This is in contrast to the untrained mind of an 
arrogant person which will tend to be subject to 'views' 
— especially those concerning 'self-importance' In 
any situation where they must forgo their individual 
whims in order better to work as a team, they will 
often find it hard to adapt. They will always want to 
be the leader of a group — even if they don't have 
the capability. 
C OVERCOMING ARROGANCE 
Cl Useful ways to train yourself 
Everyone has tendencies towards arrogance — even 
children. Children are known to gangfight with others 
simply because they go to a rival school. A crying child 
will stop crying as soon as they hear the magic words, 
"Oh aren't you the bravest little boy in the world?" 
When our arrogance is engrained 
from such an early age, we need to make a special 
effort to cultivate humility in its place — and in 
practice this can be done by: 
1. Avoiding flatterers: If we have the feeling that we 
have a tendency towards arrogance or if we know that 
our own family is one of influence — the person who 
has the most danger for us is the flatterer. Instead of 
succumbing to popularity with flatterers we need to 
seek out those who can wake us up to ow delusions on 
a regular basis. Such people may be found amongst our 
teachers or elders, but they might even be responsible 
friends or those who have a lot of virtue. Such friends 
will influence us to be thorough and detailed in 
assessing all that we do, never overlooking our habits 
irrespective of the situation (see Blessing Two). 
2. Being thorough and think carefully before you do 
things: You have to think things through thoroughly 
before doing them. For example, you should wisely 
reflect whether dressing so lavishly is appropriate to 
one's social position. You should wisely reflect whether 
driving such a large car is appropriate if your boss 
drives a much smaller one. If, even uninintentionally, 
you are constantly doing things that might be 
interpreted as arrogant by others you will eventually 
find yourself surrounded by enemies. Be careful when 
you express opinions. Remember that an idea doesn't 
have to be yours to be good! You get your merit even if 
you make your good idea appear to belong to someone 
else! Don't become reckless when you have success. 
Never forget that you are never the best, there is always 
better. Think of death and remind yourself that there are 
still a lot more good deeds to do. Don't become 
enamoured by superficial qualities of your personality 
— and try to remember that no matter how good you 
think you may be, you are still subject to all the 
weaknesses of a human — whether it be old age, 
sickness or death. 
C.2 The tradition of paying respect to one's teacher 
Humility is one of the virtues heavily emphasised along 
with 'patience' and 'self•discipline in the ceremony of 
respect for one's teacher practised in the 
EFTA00286726

Buddhist tradition by schools and educational in-
stitutions annually throughout Thailand. At this 
ceremony called ' Wai Kru', there are three symbolic 
gifts whichhave been used traditionally in the ceremony 
to pay respect to the teacher — aubergine flowers, 
coarse grass and popped rice: 
1. The aubergine flower is a symbol of humility be-
cause each flower that will give rise to a fruit must bow 
its head towards the ground. Flowers which hold their 
head high will give no fruit and in the end will wither. 
In the same way, humility is quality of every student 
who will receive a teacher's knowledge to the full. Just 
as water must flow down to a lower level, the student 
who is humble will receive the most knowledge the 
most quickly. 
2. Coarse grass is a symbol of patience. This sort of 
grass can endure being parched during the dry season. It 
can endure treading and crushing by countless feet at 
the side of a footpath where other plants might have 
withered and died. In the same way, only the student 
with patience will endure the full duration of the course 
— doing whatever is needed to succeed in their studies. 
3. Popped rice is a symbol of self-discipline. When by 
exposure to heat upon the stove, only the rice which can 
stay in the cooking pot without jumping out before time 
will be sweet and tender ready to eat. In the same way, 
the one who can stay within the discipline they have set 
themselves in studying will succeed in their studies. 
The one who cannot stand the discipline and has to 
give-up half way can be compared to rice which is 
charred but not popped and ready to eat. 
These are the three qualities of the effective learner 
— humility is the first and the two others are covered 
in Blessings Nine and Twenty-Seven with also 
Sensitivity to Self-improvement (willingness to hear 
out criticism of oneself) at Blessing Twenty Eight. 
D. ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES 
D.1 Metaphor: Deadwood v. Greenwood 
Deadwood is tough and brittle. It will stand unyielding 
in the wind. If the wind gets stronger, it will remain 
unmoving. However, if there is a gale, 
it will break in two. Pushed to its limits, the damage to 
deadwood is irreparable. No matter how much more 
water or fertilizer you give it, it will not come back to 
life. This can be compared to an arrogant person who 
will never show any deference to anyone else and 
thereby forgoes the opportunity to absorb virtue from 
others. 
By contrast, greenwood is soft and flexible. In a breeze 
it will bend and twist with the wind. If the wind gets 
strong, then it will bend double — or even parallel with 
the ground. When the wind has passed, then it will 
stand up as straight as it was before. If you give it a 
little water after the dry season, it will soon break into 
leaf. This can be compared to a humble person who will 
adapt themselves favourably to any situation or person 
from which they can absorb virtue. 
D.2 Metaphor: Clay earth v. windy earth 
Sandy soil becomes fragmented into individual clods in 
the drought of the dry season — but even when the rains 
come, although the ground is wetted, the soil will still 
remain rigidly cracked into its individual clods. In a 
similar way when differences arise in a group of arrogant 
people, even though they have the opportunity to reconcile 
them, vengeful thoughts keep prevent them from coming 
back together again. 
Clay earth also becomes cracked in the dry season —
however, all it takes is a shower of rain, and it will soon 
be back to normal with no remaining cracks. In a 
similar way, when differences arise in a group of 
humble people, as soon as they have the opportunity to 
reconcile themselves, they will soon be back to 
harmony again. 
D.3 Metaphor: the low-lying ocean 
The ocean is the lowest lying of all the waterways in 
the world — as such all the waters of the all the rivers 
of the world must flow towards it. In the same way the 
deference shown by a humble person will lead all the 
virtues exemplified in other people in the world to flow 
towards him. 
D.4 Metaphor: Half-full bottle 
A bottle that is full of water makes no noise when 
shaken like a person full of virtue who doesn't need 
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to boast about it. But a bottle that is half-full is noisy 
when shaken like a person lacking in virtue who feels 
compelled to boast about what little they have. 
D.S. Er. Humility of SAriputta (Vuithi Sutra) 
A.iv.373, DIRA.itl 78 
Once in a monastic assembly presided over by the Lord 
Buddha, a monk accused SAriputta saying that in spite of 
being one of the two chief disciples of the Buddha, he was 
clumsy enough to have bumped into him. The Buddha thus 
asked SAriputta whether the accusation was true or not. 
SAriputta explained to the Buddha, "I am a person who is 
steadfast in mindfulness — I am careful of everything I do. I 
am mindful of the body with just the same care that a man 
would carry a tray filled to the brim with oil if stalked by a 
sword-brandishing guard threatening to cut off his head 
should he spill a single drop. I am wont to behave with the 
humility of a wiping rag, a bull with broken horns, like an 
untouchable child who blunders into the village of another 
caste — all of whom have no opportunity to indulge in their 
self-importance" 
Even before renouncing the world, SAriputta was 
already so gifted that he had attained no less that 
eighteen scholastic degrees before renouncing the 
world. After ordination he had attained arahantship. He 
was the right-hand chief disciple of the Buddha —yet 
look at how humble he could be — comparing himself 
to a rag, a broken-horned bull or an untouchable child. 
SAriputta had no trace of self-importance or arrogance. 
If such gifted monks in such an elevated position can be 
so humble — then who are we to look down on others? 
D.6 Er. VidEdabha & MahAnAma, DhAl.346 
Although the SAkya clan were the ancestors of the 
Lord Buddha, they had one weakness— their arrogance 
about the long history of their clan led them to look 
down on everyone else. Normally they would not even 
deign to many outside their own dynasty. Thus when 
King Pasenadi of Kosala, hoping to secure good 
relations with the SAkyans, asked for the hand of a 
SAkyan maiden in marriage they had a difficult 
decision to make. In the end they succumbed to their 
normal arrogant ways and 
instead of sending a real princess, sent an illegitimate, 
half-caste daughter born out of a relationship between 
SAkyan King MahAnAma and a slave-girl. The child 
was therefore an untouchable. King Pasenadi didn't 
know, so he had a huge State marriage organized. Later 
a prince was born called Prince VidEdabha. He was 
very clever (because of hybrid vigour). He wanted to 
know about his maternal relatives. When he grew up 
and went to visit hismatemal city of Kapilavastu, he 
was still looked down upon by all the SAkyans and he 
was given reluctant hospitality. 
On the way home after such an inhospitable visit, one of 
VidEdabha's generals found he had forgotten something 
important at Kapilavastu. He returned and found the 
SAkyans scouring the palace with milk. When he asked 
the reason why, they told him that VidEdabha was an 
untouchable — and they must disinfect every place he 
had trodden or sat. When Pasenadi heard the news he 
removed both the queen and the prince from their 
positions and was going to invade Magadha. The 
Buddha prohibited him. The Buddha explained that 
whether Pasenadi attacked them or not, the SAkyans 
would receive the fruits of their own karma. The 
Buddha also advised Pasenadi to reinstate the queen, 
saying that the paternal blood was more important than 
the maternal. Pasenadi followed the Buddha's advice 
but VidEdabha found it less easy to forgive the 
SAkyans. He made the vow that whenever he became 
king, he would seek his revenge and scour the earth of 
Kapilavastu with the blood of the SAkyans. Before long 
VidEdabha ascended to the throne and marched against 
the SAkyans. 
The Buddha knew what would happen and appeared to 
VidEdabha at a sand heap on the road between 
SAvatthE and Kapilavastu. The Buddha appealed to 
VidEdabha to stop and the first time, he turned around 
and returned to SAvatthE. However, he couldn't forget 
his anger. He set out with his troops a second time. 
Again, the Buddha appealed to him to be forgiving. A 
second time he turned his troops homeward. This 
happened in all three times — but VidEdabha was not 
cured of his 
EFTA00286728

anger. The fourth timehe marched on Kapilavastu, the 
Buddha didn't stand in his way. He saw that it was 
karma that was unavoidable to the SAkyans because of 
their past arrogance. Even though many of the SAkyans 
had ordained, many had attained degrees of 
enlightenment, and all of them kept the Five Precepts, 
they still maintained their arrogance. The SAkyans all 
came out in defense of their kingdom, but they were 
more scared of breaking their Precepts than they were 
of death. They shot arrows harmlessly into the turbans 
of the Kosalans, into flags and into the wagon wheels. 
They were too afraid to hit any living target. VidEdabha 
conquered the SAkyans easily and had the throat of 
every SAkyan slit — washing the floor with their 
blood. He spared only the life of King MahAnAma. He 
said that he would have one last meal with his 
grandfather. MahAnAma was still so arrogant, that he 
would not even eat at the same table as his untouchable 
grandson. He threw himself into the water and drowned 
himself. This is an example of the damage done when 
people are arrogant. 
D.8 Ex. King Rama V. abolishes slavery 
In most countries when slavery is going to be abol-
ished, it will present major difficulties for that coun 
try. In America it caused a civil war between the North 
and the South. However, for the abolition of slavery in 
Thailand in the reign of King Rama V, nota single drop 
of blood was spilled. How did he manage to do it? He 
went to his advisors in the palace, and they advised him 
to use the tactic of 'getting their foot in the door'. They 
knew that slaves were the most important convenience 
to all the most influential people in the country. 
Ninety-nine percent of them would instantly refuse if 
the king were to change the Law. He sent his spies out 
into society and asked them to find out what people's 
attitude was to slaves. The king found out that many of 
the old slaves had been slaves since they were children. 
Some were sixty or seventy years old. Even if they 
were to be released, they wouldn't be able to support 
themselves any longer. What should they do? The king 
was very humble. He made a simple law: that any child 
born since his coronation should be liberated from 
slavery. Ten years later, all the old slaves had passed 
away. The slave masters looked for new slaves but the 
young teenagers were protected by the law. As that 
generation grew up into the next, slaves became extinct 
and not a single drop of blood was spilled — all 
because of the humility of the King. 
EFTA00286729

Blessing Twenty-Four: 
Contentment 
A. INTRODUCTION 
A.l Blessing Twenty-Four's place in the order of 
things 
Before starting to discuss the twenty-fourth step on the 
stairway of Buddhist practice let us take stock of the 
place of Blessing Twenty-four in the Seventh Group of 
Blessings "Cultivating Basic Virtues" — so we can see 
how they integrate. In our pursuit of basic virtue we 
started by opening up the channel by which we can 
transfer the virtues of others into our own heart. The 
respect of Blessing Twenty-Two helps us overcome the 
tendency to find fault with others — allowing us to 
target the virtues and strengths to learn from them. The 
humility of Blessing Twenty-three helps us to avoid 
overestimating ourselves so that we don't look down on 
others — so that we can keep the flexibility of mind 
necessary to avoid becoming complacent about further 
improving ourselves. However there is one more virtue 
which we need to acquire for ourselves — owing to the 
elusive nature of the virtues we are trying to cultivate 
for ourselves. 
Virtue is strangely unlike worldly phenomena. For 
worldly phenomena, often we have to rush and struggle 
to achieve our ambitions — often we have to make sure 
that our performance doesn't fall short of the target we 
have set for ourselves — only in such a way can our 
ambitions be fulfilled. For worldly phenomena, it is 
always with an eye on the outcome that we invest the 
necessary effort. However, for spiritual phenomena it is 
very differ 
ent — sometimes the more we hanker after results, the 
more elusive they will be. Spiritual phenomena are like 
trees where you must add the water and fertilizer at the 
roots, but the blossoms and fruit for which we wish for 
will appear in another place altogether — high above 
our head! However if we spend the whole day gazing 
into the branches to the neglect of our watering — we 
will never get the fruits and blossoms for which we 
long. 
For meditation too, we have to do ow daily practice 
without undue interest in what the results will be —
although in the long run, we would like to make a 
breakthrough in our meditation, if we sit for meditation 
worrying about when the breakthrough will be, such 
expectations will only impede our progress. 
Not only for personal virtues, but also for social virtues, 
we have to concentrate on ow cultivation and not worry 
about the results. If you imagine a person who whines 
incessantly all day long, "How come no-one ever 
listens to a word I say?"— do you think his complaints 
ameliorate or worsen his situation? If he were instead to 
ask himself how he could make himself into the sort of 
person people want to listen to and to get down to 
cultivate those virtues instead of complaining — his 
effort would be better spent. 
In this respect the cultivation of virtue is like a tennis 
trainee who concentrates their attention on 'technique' 
rather than results. Some tennis players make the 
mistake of worrying constantly where 
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in the opposite side of the court, the ball is going to 
land. However, instead of projecting one's anxieties 
over the net, trainers always recommend their students 
to concentrate instead on how they hit the ball. If they 
hit the ball correctly, then the ball will go where it is 
meant to whether the player worries about it or not! 
Thus instead of getting caught up in expectations and 
comparing ourselves to others, we need to cultivate a 
virtue which will allow us the acceptance and 
enthusiasm to work on ourselves as we really are —
instead of wasting our time daydreaming as to how we 
would like to be. That virtue is contentment — a key 
aspect of our personality, which apart from being 
important for self-development also has a social role in 
allowing people to pool their strengths instead of 
competing with one another. 
A.2 Why it is necessary to know where you stand 
A.2.I Personal Potential 
When cultivating ourselves we have a certain number of 
strengths and weaknesses — and through our cultivation, 
we hope to further the strengths and diminish the 
weaknesses. Before we can do that, we need to evaluate 
ourselves honestly and accurately — we need to accept 
ourselves as we are — only then will we have the pride in 
ourselves to have the encouragement to make the 
necessary improvements. 
The strengths and influence which people bring to bear on 
improving themselves is different from person to person —
the more strengths and influence one has, the more one will 
immediately be able to improve about oneself, others and 
society. If there are limitations to one's strengths, however, 
there will be many things at which one will fail in one's 
efforts to change — and even to try will cause great 
discouragement to your one's career of self-development. 
To avoid such unnecessary discouragement and to be 
realistic about yourself as you stand, the Buddha taught 
a total of six characteristics which am benchmarks 
forus to 'know ourselves', comparable to a mirror 
which allows us to look deeply at the latent potential 
within ourselves. 
I. Inspiration [saddha]: the degree to which you 
believe in what you're doing. Believe that the good 
deeds you are doing are really having an effect; 
2. Self-discipline [sEla]: this is the purity with which 
you are able to keep your Precepts; 
3. Experience [bahtsEta]: this is the extent of the 
experience you have under your belt and also how 
many teachings you have heard and can remember, 
4. Generosity [cAga]: this is the extent of your own 
generosity and the ability to let go of the things to 
which you are attached; 
5. Wisdom [pailliA]: this is the extent of the knowl-
edge, common sense and insight you possess; 
6. Quick wittedness [patibhAnzt]: the extent of your 
ability to answer questions on your toes without having 
the chance to go away and prepare beforehand. 
One's health can also be a big factor in determining 
one's personal potential to change things. 
Try seeing how you measure in relation to the fol-
lowing virtues — note your strengths and your 
shortfalls — accept them, and then get down to making 
the necessary improvements. Thus contentment in the 
context of personal development means both accepting 
the reality of yourself and putting in the necessary 
effort to make an improvement. 
A.2.2 Social Potential 
Besides measuring yourself up personally against these 
benchmark virtues, when working for progress in a 
social context it is necessary to know your place in 
society. Sometimes to a westerner, having a 'place in 
society' might seem to imply encouragement of 
segregation of society into classes and castes — with all 
their hereditary rigidity. When we talk of a 'place in 
society' we mean something more akin to one's 
'function' in society — and it should be hastily added 
that there is nothing per se to hinder mobility from one 
function in society to another. A realistic appreciation 
of one's 'place' or 'function' in society will prevent one 
from wasting one's efforts being pretentious or 
hankering after something that one has not yet attained 
instead of 'putting one's back' into the work needed to 
im 
EFTA00286731

The Buddha never taught his disciples to be lazy, 
backsliding or to avoid work — or to be inert or 
unresponsive in a way that impedes progress and 
prosperity, as is often misunderstood. On the con 
prove one's lot in society. Even if you don't like your 
place in society, you need to start by accepting where 
you stand, and in that way the enthusiasm and willing 
[chanda] will arise which will allow you to make a 
success of whatever you doing (it Ls the first of the 
"Foundations of Success (ddhipada/ already met in 
Blessing Fourteen, §D.2) and thereby to achieve 
success. It is by this success, not by our hankering that 
promotion and progress will come.Thus contentment in 
the context of social progress means both accepting the 
reality of your place in society and putting in the 
necessary effort to make an improvement. 
B. CONTENTMENT 
B.1 Definitions 
The Pali word from which the word `contentment' in 
this blessing is derived, is `santuEEhE'which can be 
broken down into the syllables `san-' which means 
'oneself and '-tuEEhE' which means `happy'. Thus, in 
its entirety, the word means `happiness with oneself and 
one's possessions' — in other words knowing 
moderation or knowing enough. 
B.2 What Contentment is not 
'Contentment' is a concept widely misunderstood. 
Some blame the idea of `contentment' for standing in 
the way of economic progress, or claim it makes people 
too lazy to change or to improve themselves and their 
situation. They think it means being content to do 
nothing or being content to remain in isolation from 
others. In fact these other concepts already have their 
own words in the Pali language which are different 
from the `samosa' which we refer to by 'contentment' 
for the purposes of this Blessing: 
teary, this Blessing emphasises that when each person 
understands their own strengths and weaknesses and 
their place in society — that contentment will arise of 
its own accord. Such contentment will ensure that 
everyone will be content with what they have, what 
they receive and what is appropriate to them — in such 
a way that the tendency to fight over luxuries will be 
reduced — and along with it, the jealousy and 
mudslinging that is often common between those of 
influence in society. 
B.3 Types of contentment 
Being happy with oneself as one stands has three 
different characteristics: 
1. contentment with what you already have 
[sakena santosa]: In the words of the Lord Buddha 
(Dh.103): 
SalAbhaO nAtimaiiiieyya 
"Never look down on your own wealth" this might 
mean being content with one's parents, one's spouse 
and children, our work or one's nationality. Even if 
there are faults with these things, it is necessary to 
cultivate the `pride' for them (note: not arrogant 
pride which has already been dispensed with since 
Blessing Twenty-three) that will make it seem 
worthwhile gradually to make the necessary 
improvements 
rather than to attempt to solve the problem by 
stealing away someone else's (spouse, work etc.) There are 
many examples of even the humblest of shoe-menders 
working in the gutter who have taken pride in their work 
(even though they might not have liked it at first) until 
eventually managing to build up a prospering shoe busi-
ness for themselves. If a person is contented with 
something, they tend to progress in that thing 
because  
being contented to do nothing is called 'kosajja' in 
contentment, properly understood gives
Pali otherwise translated as 'laziness'; 
us the encouragement to expend effort on the things we 
• 
being contented to be alone is called `pavivitta' income into contact with. Thus `contentment' in our
Pali, otherwise translated as `seclusion'; 
meaning of the word is something which helps to vanquish 
laziness. You need to accept how you are and use what you 
have to the very best of your ability. It is not like some 
people who think to themselves, "My father is only an 
ignorant fool, what hope have I of doing anything 
worthwhile? Why couldn't I have the 
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president for my father?" Some people blame their 
parents for being so poor, thinking, "What have they 
wasted their time doing all these years instead of 
amassing riches? Why couldn't I have been born 
with a silver spoon in my mouth?" Some people are 
not content with their nationality. Some people are 
not content with their own wife, thinking that other 
people's wives are all so much better. Some people 
wonder how their own children could ever have 
grown up with such a monstrous personality —
without ever thinking to ask themselves where those 
children got their bad habits from! It's no use 
wasting your energy being discontent — instead you 
ought to be rechanneling our energy into improving 
the situation. 
2. contentment with what you get fsantena santosa/: in 
the words of the Lord Buddha (I.i.476): 
YaO laddhaO tena tutthabbato 
"You should be content with whatever you receive" 
when we are working on a task, this sort of con-
tentment means contentment with the outcome. 
Sometimes the results don't reach the targets of 
beauty, quantity or craftsmanship we had set for 
ourselves — but if we can be content, instead of 
losing sleep about it or revelling in the suffering of it 
we can go on cheerfully to make the necessary 
adjustments. Some who lack this sort of contentment 
will tend to assume that they are destined to 
misfortune. One tends to revel in the shortcomings 
of one's work instead of concentrating on the 
successful part of what one has achieved. A 
fisherman lacking such contentment will always 
think that the fish that escaped his net are larger than 
the ones he has caught. In the end he spends his 
whole life eating fish he is disappointed with. Thus 
he never enjoys his food to his dying day. If your 
parents can only afford to give you 1,000 or 10,000 
you should be thankful — it's better than being 
given a debt to service. By contrast someone who is 
contented will be happy with whatever they are 
endowed with instead of always looking to see what 
their neigh 
bour has that might be better. If you already have 
something and you feel that it is in some way 
inappropriate, then if you decide to make some 
adjustments then that is another matter. If someone 
gives you a small piece of land to build a house, and 
you can build only a small house — you should be 
thankful that you don't have to waste money renting 
for many years — but at the same time, you should 
work diligently, building up your financial position, 
so that you can expand the house to your full 
requirements at a later date. Supposing you are in 
business and you expect to make a profit of a 
million. You work as hard as you can but can 
manage a profit of only 500,000. You have to learn 
to live with that. Don't be like some people who 
immediately go into chronic depression. Instead of 
being upset about the small size of your profit, you 
should be thankful that you haven't made a loss. 
Some people take an entrance exam hoping to be ac-
cepted to study medicine — but when they are 
turned down, they commit suicide. Why can't they 
look on the bright side and find something else to 
study instead? Some people fall in love with a girl 
who shows no interest in them — so they hang 
themselves with a broken heart. People of such 
stupidity deserve no sympathy. If they didn't have 
their love returned, why couldn't they learn to be 
content with living alone? You can be content with 
what you have or what you are given. If you are 
content with what you are given, supposing when it 
comes to time for promotion, the boss gives it to 
someone else who is lazy, even though you have 
been working hard all year, maybe you can be con-
tent with that. However if it happens every year, 
maybe you need to do something about it. 
3. contentment with what is appropriate for you 
[samena santosa]: In practice this means that we don't 
keep in our possession things that arc surplus to what is 
appropriate for us. Supposing someone comes along 
and offers you something that is unbefitting of your 
ability or social status it is better to be content with 
what you already have. If someone comes along one 
day and of 
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fers to make you president, if you were to accept, it 
might just be the death of you. If you were just a 
newly ordained monk and someone came along and 
offered to make you the abbot of a temple, again it 
might not be fitting because you are not yet well 
trained enough. Monks have to think carefully 
before they accept certain offerings. Supposing 
someone were to come along and offer a monk a 
jade Buddha or a huge Buddha image made of gold 
— it might be better to refuse it otherwise you might 
have to be a security guard for the rest of his life. 
There was once a tramp who bought a lottery ticket 
and miraculously got the first prize. When the tramp 
heard the news of how much he had won, he had a 
heart attack and died. A second person went to 
collect the money, but as they had never had any 
experience of looking after the money before, they 
died in the ensuing quarrels between various friends 
and relatives who thought they were entitled to a 
share of the money. You have to know what is 
appropriate or inappropriate for yourself. When 
considering what is appropriate for one, there are 
three deciding factors: 
I. whether it is appropriate to our status [yathA 
lAbha]: we should consider what our socio-eco-
nomic status is — are we a monastic, a householder, 
a senior, a subordinate, a teacher, a student, a 
military general, an infantryman, a faculty head, an 
odd-job man — and the things which we use and 
consume 
ought 
to 
be 
appropriate 
to 
the 
socio-economic status we occupy instead of being 
pretentious things inappropriate to our status. If you 
are a manual worker maybe you should be contented 
to furnish your house with plain furniture rather than 
the upholstered 'reception furniture' more fitting to 
the office of the primeminister! If you are a monk 
and someone offers a female maidservant to attend 
to all your domestic needs — then in spite of their 
good intentions, you would be better to turn them 
down, because that would not be fitting a monk —
or perhaps not building a huge air-conditioned house 
you cannot afford, having to take out loans to do it; 
2. whether it is appropriate to our potency [yathA 
bola]: If one knows and accepts the level of one's 
own potential, one will be better able to know what 
is appropriate for one. You should not over- or 
under-estimate oneself. You should look at oneself 
deeper than surface features such as gender, size or 
beauty. Don't go comparing yourself to others out of 
your league — thinking that just because you know 
them or can speak to them, that you you deserve the 
same treatment as them. If you know your 
capabilities are only enough to take the 
responsibilities of a minister in parliament, don't go 
coveting the title of primeminister. If your 
capabilities are only enough to be a hand-servant, 
don't go dreaming of being an employer — e.g. not 
choosing status-symbols inappropriate to our actual 
status — like a high-backed director's chair if one is 
not capable of being a director; 
3. whether it is appropriate to our level of morality 
[yathA sarupaj: Even if something is appropriate to our 
status and potential, if it is something inappropriate to 
the level of Precepts we have set for ourselves — or if 
it will discredit us or compromise our dignity to receive 
it — then we should not be contented to receive that 
kind of thing. For example, we should not accept goods 
we know to be stolen or salary earned by illegal 
employment — in order that possessions don't become 
more important to us than our virtues — and so that we 
don't become a puppet to the accumulation of more 
and more possessions without end 
— if something is over or beneath one's social 
status, it is inappropriate to accept it or own it. 
C. HAPPINESS & POVERTY 
Cl The Two son's of happiness 
The key issue which will become obvious to us if we 
are endowed with contentment is that happiness exists 
in (at least) two different forms (A.i.80): 
L Happiness dependent on external stimuli [sAmisa 
sukha]: Such happiness is dependent on sense-pleasure 
coming to us via our eyes, ears, 
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nose, mouth or by our sense of touch. It also in-
cludes thoughts of desire from which superficial 
pleasure can also be derived. This sort of happiness 
tends to be gross because it is mixed up with 
suffering and has the following characteristics: 
I. the objects of happiness can be obtained only as 
the result of considerable effort and difficulty 
because they are rare and limited in quantity; 
2. the objects of happiness, once obtained have to be 
closely guarded for fear of being parted from them; 
3. being hindered in one's access to such objects of 
happiness, can cause aggression and acts of 
vengeance; 
2. Inner happiness [nirAmisa sukha]: Such happiness 
is independent of external stimuli and arises directly 
from inside whenever the mind has the characteristics 
of being: 
TuEEhE sukhA yA itarEtarena 
"contentment with the requisites you have and those 
you receive will bring you happiness" 
C.2 Two sorts of poverty 
Those who lack happiness succumb to poverty — and 
just as there are two sorts of happiness, there are two 
corresponding sorts of pauper: 
I. Material paupers: Such people suffer from lack of 
resources because they really lack the wherewithal' to 
earn enough to keep themselves from the poverty line. 
Such people are temporarily poor because if they find 
an appropriate way to earn their living, before long they 
will be able to help themselves out of poverty. 
2. Spiritual paupers: Such people suffer from lack of 
resources because they spend more than they earn. 
Their problem is not one of resources but one of attitude 
because they know no moderation in their spending. 
Such people can be counted amongst the 'permanent 
poor' because even if they inherit a fortune, they will 
pure: occurs when the mind is free of defilemellBt be able to stay out of debt until the day they die 
peaceful: occurs when the mind is free from 
(unless they learn contentment in the meantime). 
movement and grasping; 
free: occurs when the mind breaks free of vari°fflus 'contentment' means 'knowing moderation' —it is a 
encroachments, becoming light and limitless; 
miraculous virtue which can stop people from competing 
• 
radiant: occurs when the mind is suffused by mercilessly with one another, stop extravagence, stop 
wisdom [pailla] — seeing things according to reality; pretentiousness, stop wars, making people self-sufficient 
• 
fulfilled: occurs when the mind has no further in happiness irrespective of their position in society and it 
feeling of lacking or missing anything, and with no 
allow the rich to be real millionnaires, because in the 
residual feeling of even the slightest loneliness — becatall
the happiness of the mind is self-sufficient in itself. 
words of the Buddha (Dh.57):
SantuEEhE paramaO dhanaO 
"Contentment is the ultimate wealth" 
Inner happiness is true happiness — it is happiness that 
creates no conflicts of interest. It is a happiness that 
helps to diminish other problems. However, those who 
are to find inner happiness must first cultivate a state of 
mind that is peaceful and free from discontent. The 
more one can cultivate contentment with relation to the 
happiness dependent on external stimuli, the easier it 
will become to touch instead upon inner happiness —
as with the Buddhist proverb (Dh.93): 
D.SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF CONTENTMENT 
When contentment is lacking: 
• 
competition tends to grow up between those who are 
influential in society to the degree that one tries to discredit 
another or cut corners in amassing wealth instead of applying 
their skills and influence for the public benefit. Unfortunately 
such behaviour is becoming more and more prevalent in our 
society. 
• 
there is no respect for ethics in the business world 
— nothing is left but flagrant profiteering with 
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