In an article in Meththawalokanaya Magazine in the January 2017 edition, Venerable Bhikku Dr. Walpola Piyananda Thera Chief Sangha Nayaka of USA states that his teacher once asked him to grow identical plants of Jasminum Gradiflorum species (Saman Pichcha) and regularly each morning and evening scold one plant while praising the other with loving-kindness. Both plants were given equal amounts of water and fertilizer and exposed to sun the same way. After 6 months he noticed that the plant that was scolded did not flower while the other flowered with flowers giving pleasant aroma.
Thus without delving into the science, I will delve into the teachings of the Enlightened One the Buddha.
The reason being that the full understanding of it all is there in the Dhamma as taught by the Buddha. In describing the consciousness of the Buddha and Arahaths, the Buddha stated thus, “Vingananan anidassanan, ananthan sabbatho paban; eththa apocha pathavi thejo wayo nagadhathi, eththa digancha rassancha anunthulan subasuban, eththa namancha rupancha asesan uparujjathi, vinganan nirodena eththethan uparujjathi”.
The non-illustrated consciousness is limitless bright in all sides, where water/viscous, earth/hardness, heat, air/oscillation, long and short, big and small, good and bad are not present and where name/form (nama/rupa) is eliminated without any trace.
All is eliminated in the stilled (Nirodha) consciousness.
The enlightened one and his arahath disciples have only compassion, loving-kindness, equanimity, altruistic joy etc. for all. However, the mundane people who are not like them and their illustrated-consciousness has such things as hatred, enmity, anger, ingratitude, obstinateness, envy, craving, ill will etc., in different intensities. Different people will have different levels of these negative things and these name/form illustrates their consciousness.
Hatred
Looking around the world today one can only see hatred in abundance everywhere. Right now it is there in Asia-Pacific region due to ongoing ballistic missile tests by North Korea and USA responding in kind with a test of their ballistic missile, and is getting fueled all the time due to rhetoric and the words used by other national leaders, the statements of North Korean leader, concerns whether more such tests or even a nuclear war would take place etc.
Adding fuel to fire on September 3 North Korea supposedly has carried out a nuclear test triggering earth tremors which has been detected by South Korea, China and USA. Tension and concerns are building up and what will be the response of USA and other nations?
Then there is much anger in the BREXIT process in UK and Europe with each day statements which are not conciliatory being issued by UK and European sides, hate and anger at what has happened in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany etc. in the last few weeks.
The ongoing influx of refugees from Middle East and North Africa to Europe is another matter creating stress and anger. The agony, death and destruction that the people of Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan have been facing too has caused much chagrin and anger. Ongoing media negative talk about USA President is also cause for anger in many a minds. All these are releasing extremely high volumes of hatred and we are also reaping the harvest as well.
Thus today in this world, the biggest commodity available is hatred and envy, among nations, among people, between different races, between different political parties or different politicians, at times between those of different religious faiths and beliefs, between media people or media people and politicians, politicians and unions etc.
Sadly, though often things that are minute and extremely localized are given wide exposure by the international media who at times use their own adjectives to make mountains out of molehills, which often result in attrition and dangers elsewhere who otherwise would not have known it at all.
Political meetings and rallies
Hatred is an extremely powerful force of very high frequency and would impact the normal working of the four fundamental things such as water, heat, air and earth. These four things are also conditioned and the Buddha said the conditioned have three characteristics, “Theeni mani bhikkave sankathassa sankatha lakkanani, kathamani theeni. Uppado pannayathi, vayo pannanyathi, thithassa annaththan pannayathi” meaning, “Bhikkus, there are three characteristics visible in conditioned, and the three are where arising can be seen, ceasing can be seen and what is this becomes that”. This clearly explains the nature of these four things water, air, earth and heat. These have very high frequency of change not visible to naked eye or even with any scientific instruments.
Right now in our own nation the media are full of stories about anger and strife among politicians, where at times vituperative words are being used by some. Each day in the morning most TV channels take to air with the discussion of news in daily papers and the focus is mainly on negative articles and where the presenter uses more adjectives to expand further. We see it within the government, between various members in the government, between Joint Opposition and government, unions and government. We are witness to fights that are taking place inside the chambers of provincial councils, screaming at each other inside the parliament, angry rhetoric used in political meetings and rallies, use of very hard language in TV discussions amongst political party representatives and others etc.
All these negative forces are impacting our mother nation badly. Had it not been for the three visits made by the Enlightened One Buddha to this country over 2,500 years ago, the sacred Buddha relics that are enshrined in our land and the Sri Maha Bodhi, and if not for that power of the Buddha this nation could have experienced worse situation than what has happened.
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