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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 
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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 
C.1 Spiritual objects of respect 
The Buddha taught (AppamAda 
Sutta A.iv.27; 
Kimmila Sutta A.iv.84; Sakkacca 
Sutta A.iv.120) that 
there are seven objects of respect 
in the spiritual 
world which are so full of virtues 
that even if a person 
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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. 
C.1.1. 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 
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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. 
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When the Lord Buddha was still 
alive, disciples 
would pay respect by: 
1. 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 
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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 
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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 Buddha's 
sight. 
When the Buddha had entered 
ParinibbAna, different 
ways of paying respect became 
applicable: 
1. respecting the pagoda 
containing the Buddha's 
relics; 
2. paying respect at the four holy 
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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 
Blessing Twenty-Two: Respect 257 
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; 
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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 
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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 
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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. 
1. 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 
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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 
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taught accurately. 
C.1.3. The Saigha 
The Saigha were those who have 
trained themselves 
and help to teach others to follow 
in their 
footsteps. We can pay respect to 
the Saigha by: 
1. Bowing and saluting with 
composure in the presence 
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 
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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; 
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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 
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then try to get to the core of the 
thing you are studying. 
C.1.5. 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 
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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 
258 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
the Threefold Training [ti-sikkhA] 
— the heart of 
the Buddhist teaching consisting of 
self-discipline 
[sEla], meditation [samAdhi] and 
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wisdom [pafifiA] 
— 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 sorts of virtue, especially 
removing defilements 
from the mind and entry upon 
Nirvana. 
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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 
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