The Dharma

How to Protect Everyone Including Myself

People must learn to cure themselves from false views and the universal madness at the individual level, before there can be peace and harmony in the family and society and sanity globally. It is at the individual level that we have to watch our mind with awareness, and by doing so protect ourselves and others at the same time. The Dhammapada says: "If you hold yourself dear, watch yourself well."

The need to watch ourselves well by practising mindfulness is illustrated by an analogy given by the Buddha, of the acrobat and a boy. Once there was an acrobat who performed dangerous acts with his pupil. A slip on either his part or his pupil could bring injury. In one of his acts, he climbed his bamboo pole and told his pupil: 'Now boy, climb the pole and stand on my shoulders.' After the boy had done that, the master said: 'Now boy, protect me and I will protect you; by looking after each other, we will show our tricks, earn money and come down safe from the pole.' The pupil thought for a moment and then replied: 'No master, that won't do. Why don't you protect yourself and I will protect myself. Thus self-protected and self-guarded, we will show our tricks, earn money, and come down safe from the pole. This is the method.' According to the Buddha, just as the pupil said to the master: 'I will protect myself', so should we practise mindfulness to protect ourselves. This practice will also protect others. By protecting oneself, one protects others; by protecting others, one protects oneself. And he does this by repeated practice, development and frequent occupation with tolerance, harmlessness, loving-kindness and compassion. Therefore, by practising these virtues, which can only be cultivated with mindfulness, one brings protection and security to others.

We must not misunderstand by thinking that the act of serving oneself is egoism and selfishness. By serving oneself, we do not mean giving vent to our greed since this is not, in the truest sense, service to oneself. Serving oneself means that one should practise self-discipline, moral and mental training. While practising these qualities, one is doing the highest service to others. In addition, how can one be of real service to others if one is morally and mentally weak?

-You & Your Problems (Ven. Dr. K Sri Dhammananda)

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