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with trampling one's own dignity, 
by twisting the 
truth in one's own heart and mind. 
Such bias in 
our minds then twists the things we 
say and do to 
deviate from what is righteous and 
appropriate. 
Such behaviours are all the sign of 
a cowardly and 
wicked person who has no love of 
justice — and 
Blessing Sixteen: Dhamma 
Practice 201 
who neither respects his own 
human dignity or that 
of others. 
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Anyone who knows that they have 
been maltreated 
by someone else as a result of that 
person's 
bias cannot help but feel sad, angry 
or vengeful —
and with the progressive 
accumulation of such 
negative emotions in the mind —
might eventually 
lead him to act wickedly himself 
towards the person 
in question in any of the four 
categories already 
discussed above in the Four 
Defilements of Action. 
Thus we can see how one person's 
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bias might undermine 
another's responsibility for the 
human 
dignityof others. 
Thus we can conclude that bias 
undermines a 
person's responsibility towards 
human dignity 
whether it remains unexpressed in 
a person's mind, 
or whether it causes resentment in 
another in response 
to an unjust action. 
Bias is very damaging to the 
cultivation of virtue 
because the best of intentions such 
as giving a gift 
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out of "gratitude" can become 
interpreted as something 
base like nepotism or corruption if 
there is 
even the slightest suspicion of bias. 
If one can be 
sure that no-one involved in any 
situation is subject 
to bias — one can cultivate good 
deeds to the 
full. 
Anyone who can abstain from the 
Four Forms of 
Bias is someone who abides in 
justice. They will be 
someone who follows strictly the 
guidelines of all 
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that is fair. 
C.2 The Ten Virtues of a Ruler 
The Buddha taught the Ten Virtues 
of a Ruler 
[rAjadhamma] as guidelines for 
the conduct of 
those in a postion of power 
(J.v.378): 
1. generosity [dAna]; 
2. self-discipline [sEla]; 
3. self-sacrifice [pariccAga]; 
4. integrity [Ajjava]; 
5. gentleness [maddava]; 
6. austerity [tapa]; 
7. non-anger [akkodha]; 
8. non-violence [avihiOsa]; 
9. patience [khanti]; 
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10. non-deviation from 
righteousness [avirodhana]. 
Thus whoever you are, you should 
not infringe the 
rights of others, twist the truth or 
bear false witness. 
You should follow social laws and 
regulations 
consistently — not intentionally 
breaking the law. 
One should neither slip into the 
Four Defilements 
of Action nor pressurize others 
into such behaviour. 
Even the simple adherence to 
consistent honesty, 
avoiding breaking social laws and 
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traditions by protecting 
oneself from bias will stop one 
from stirring 
society into unrest. Thus anyone 
who abstains 
from the Four Forms of Bias can 
also be considered, 
to a slightly greater extent, to be a 
person with social 
responsibility. 
D. CONCLUSIONS 
D.1 Relative importance of Pure 
Practice and 
Practice for Purity 
To the casual observer, the 
consequences of failing 
to "Practice Purely" (being biased 
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and lacking the 
Ten Virtues of a Ruler) might 
appear less serious 
than those who don't "Practise for 
Purity"(i.e. with 
defilements of action, none of the 
Five Virtues and 
lacking the Tenfold Path of 
Wholesomeness) — but 
on closer examination, the two 
forms of wickedness 
have equally devastating 
consequences. Thus 
if anyone truly wants to develop 
responsibility towards 
human dignity, theymust practice 
purely and 
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practice for purity 
this is what it 
means to be 
truly responsible towards human 
dignity both in 
oneself and others. 
D.2 Achieving Dhamma Practice 
in Everyday Life 
Some people may wonder whether 
in the present 
day you can still find examples of 
people who can 
follow the Tenfold Path of 
Wholesomeness. What 
can you do if you are still unable to 
follow all ten 
perfectly? 
1. Select your livelihood: If you 
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want to help 
yourself, first of all, be choosy 
about the work 
that you do. Don't involve yourself 
in forms 
of work that involve Wrong 
Livelihood (see 
Blessing Eighteen). However, if 
you want to go 
further than these ten principles in 
life to shift 
from simply neutral actions to 
more positive 
ones then you have to make a 
further effort 
as follows. 
2. Never allow yourself to be 
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shoddy: Train your202 
A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
self never to work on anything in a 
shoddy 
fashion. Always do your best in 
whatever task 
comes to you. This thoroughness 
will carry 
over when you come to training 
yourself in 
so that you cultivate virtue too. 
(e.g. preparing 
notes for a sermon instead of 
simply making 
it up as you go along) 
3. Avoid bias: Train yourself to be 
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unbiased and 
fair in whatever you do. You need 
to be sincere 
to principles, to your work, to 
yourself 
and to others too. 
4. Meditate regularly. No matter 
how smart you 
are, without meditation you have 
no chance 
of being successful in your pursuit 
of the Tenfold 
Path of Wholesomeness. The 
reason is 
that, even though people know 
something is 
bad, they cannot stop themselves 
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from carrying 
on in the way they have always 
done. 
D.3 Overcoming obstacles to 
Dhamma Practice 
For various reasons people find 
great difficulty in 
earnestly cultivating virtue in their 
lives: 
I. Low Morale: Some try to 
practise but give in 
to themselves easily because they 
lack morale. 
Such people need to be close to 
those who are 
more experienced — i.e the Wise 
of the Second 
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Blessing. If you are able then 
choose a sort 
of work by which you can avoid 
having to 
put yourself in negative situations 
every day 
of the year. 
2. Bad Surroundings: Supposing 
you have the 
morale but your environment 
doesn't allow 
you to do as well as you want to, 
don't give 
up, but do as much as you are able 
to. e.g. 
someone who must work as a 
hunter for a living 
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but who keeps the Precepts when 
he can. 
It gives the mind a rest and reduces 
the toll of 
negativity in the mind. Do good 
deeds whenever 
you have the opportunity. When it 
comes 
to the right time a better 
opportunity will 
present itself. 
E. ILLUSTRATIVE 
EXAMPLES 
E.1 Ex. Kukku JAtaka (J.396) 
On the occasion of giving a 
teaching to the king, 
the Buddha related the story of his 
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previous birth 
as the counsellor to King 
Brahmadatta who at that 
time was an unjust ruler. After 
waiting a long time 
for a tactful opportunity to correct 
the king's ways, 
one day the two visited a building 
under construction 
in the royal park.The roofing is not 
complete 
and the rafters had just been laid in 
place. The king 
asked his counsellor how the 
rafters could stay in 
place, and having found his 
opportunity, the counsellor 
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said that just as the peak of a roof 
will fall, 
unless tightly held by the rafters, a 
king will soon 
fall from power unless supported 
by subjects who 
have been won over by his 
righteousness. As a 
lemon must be eaten without its 
peel, so must taxes 
be gathered without violence. Like 
the lotus, unstained 
by the water in which it grows, is 
the virtuous 
man untainted by the world —
therefore his 
majesty should give up his 
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extortion of unfair taxes 
and various other injustice driven 
by bias and defilements 
of action. 
E.2 Ex. Temiya the Mute (J.538) 
The bodhisattva was born as 
Temiya, son of the king 
of Kasi and Candadevi his wife. 
As a baby he lay in 
the lap of the king as he 
pronounced death sentences 
on robbers brought before him. 
Temiya recollected 
past lives when he had done the 
same and 
suffered for 20,000 years in 
Ussada Hell as a result, 
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therefore he feigned dumbness to 
avoid having to 
take the throne. Eventually, when 
he was sixteen 
his execution was ordered. As his 
grave was being 
dug, he confided his resolve to 
become an ascetic 
to Sunanda the gravedigger. 
Sunanda was impressed 
by his words and released the 
bodhisattva 
to become an ascetic. His parents 
were informed 
and upon visiting Temiya's 
hermitage, they heard 
his preaching and all became 
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ascetics too. Citizens 
of Kasi and three neighbouring 
kingdoms followed 
their example. Temiya's parents 
were identified 
with the parents of the Buddha, 
Sunanda with 
Sariputta. 
E.3 Ex. MahAdhammapAla 
JAtaka (J.447) 
There is a story of when the 
Buddha went back to 
visit his father King Suddhodana. 
The King told 
him the story that someone had 
told him that his 
son had already died as the result 
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