Expert: Justin Choo - 11/28/2009

Question
QUESTION: This question linger with me for so may sinced teen at the age of 16to 18. That was 35 years ago. At that time the thought that life is a tough journey and being cautious of such fact,the past 35 years was being treaded with care of avoiding bad deeds and upholding goodness. Being in the managerial post, termption of money n sex was aplenty, but bcos of the idea of virtue , the satan or bad thougths failed in its task, i uphold strongly on honesty and moral as well as being charitable in doing donation and guiding youngsters and i dont gamble to avoid greed from getting its foothold. Despite all this goodness, the joy of life failed to arise, everything seem so bland, why was i born?
Q2. Recalling the past events, i manages to avoid danger of road accidents so many times and also some gangsterism problem due to nature of works, could this be due to karma or was it due to knowledge? Or should i say thank god.
If not born, all the question will be irrelevant, right?

ANSWER: Hi sp,

Welcome back.  Nice to communicate with you.

"Despite all this goodness, the joy of life failed to arise, everything seem so bland, why was i born?"
I don't think anyone in  this world is completely satisfied or completely happy with his life.  Now that I know your age, I can savely say that you would agree with me that if nothing else, you should be happy that you have good health.  In addition, if you have financial stability, then life is giving you a good deal.  It's up to you to go enjoy yourself.  "Why were you born?"  We are born because of our grasping of greed, hatred and attachment to desires.  So long as we still have even a slightest degree of these roots of ignorance, we will be born, and born again, without end.

"Q2. Recalling the past events, i manages to avoid danger of road accidents so many times and also some gangsterism problem due to nature of works, could this be due to karma or was it due to knowledge?"
From my personal opinion, your good fortune is due to both good kamma and your ability to use your human intelligence.  Although we have a certain degree of control over our lives, in the final analysis our past kamma will have the final say.

I shall share with you what I wrote earlier in answer to another person.  Please read on.

Let me elaborate. Our past kamma determines our final destiny, but we still can chart our journey. All of us have the ability to decide and act either for our own good and protection or for our own downfall. So long as we have this free will to act (or not to act) we cannot attribute everything to kamma. If we are to accept this theory that everything is due to kamma and we have no control whatsoever, then we are being very stupid and utterly foolish. In layman's language, we would then leave everything to fate or destiny. We are then no better than subscribing to the statement "it's the will of God". Then we can just close our eyes while crossing the road!!

We need to use our human intelligence and common sense to take all precautions to protect/enhance our lives. After having taken ALL possible precautions, whatever then happens is "most probably" the retribution of our past kamma. This retributive result is the "vipaka" of the kamma that we generated in this life as well as previous lives. Our storehouse of kammic actions is a mixture of good and bad actions. This storehouse will determine the type of rebirth and the type of life we are going to face. But as I said, we are not completely helpless to direct our present lives. We have the power to influence or change the direction of our lives within certain limits.

Let's take an example of a film director turning a book into a film. The general theme of the book cannot be changed. For example, if the book is about war and tragedy, it will be about war and tragedy, and not something else like comedy. However, the director can change or alter certain scenes in certain chapters, by using his skill in directing. Likewise, our lives are like the book. The greater part of our lives cannot be changed; whereas we can still make skilful effort to improve certain chapters of our lives.

Which part can be altered, and which part cannot be changed is the big question. Life is uncertain; death is certain. This is the "sorrowful" reality of existence.

In the end, a person's life is influenced by both his lifetime's actions as well as his past kamma.

Hope this makes sense.
Take care,

Justin Choo


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, i now understand that the current stage has been a blessing with good health n financial stability comparatively well off with stable wage income in a bank.I did encounter a staunch buddhist who firmly believe that the road to the ultimate goal of nibbana is only thro meditation either insight or metta kindness. My perception is that to reach nibbana, the philosophy, personnally crafted so to speak, BE GOOD, DO GOOD AND FEEL GOOD  should be sufficient to lead one to nibbana. If being good n kind hearted is not enought then what should we do then? The solution seem rather difficult for a layperson and what so a monk would find it hard to achieve. Do u think being a good person who practice sila and Dana and also are able to drop the attachment can reach the ultimate goal of liberation. Is meditation compulsory? So confusing on such topic

Answer
Hi sp,

[If you do come back, please click the "ask a question" box to start a new thread (a fresh question and not a follow-up), otherwise this thread will become too long.  Thanks]

First let us find out what Nibbana is.  In very simple language, Niabbana means "no more craving".  This means if you manage to eradicate completely, all cravings, then you have arrived.  We have 3 roots of craving or more often called 3 roots of evil; namely greed, hatred and delusion.  If you completely rid of your greed and hatred through the complete purification of your mind, then you have reached the ultimate goal.

As I wrote earlier:
"Our storehouse of kammic actions is a mixture of good and bad actions. This storehouse will determine the type of rebirth and the type of life we are going to face."

Most of us are not in our final stage towards reaching the goal, as our storehouses still have a lot of baggages.  This leads us to your question:
  
"If being good n kind hearted is not enough then what should we do then?....Do u think being a good person who practice sila and Dana and also are able to drop the attachment can reach the ultimate goal of liberation. Is meditation compulsory?"

Now please go back to my above comment on Nibbana (2nd paragraph).  You will be able to answer this question yourself by doing some thinking.  As for the "purification of the mind" I would say you need serious Buddhist meditation.

It is said that during the Buddha's time, conditions were conducive for gaining enlightenment, and those destined for this final liberation were born during that period. It's just like the ripening season for certain types of fruits. When the conditions and timing are right, the tree will bear fruits.

My opinion is that the current period is not conducive for such auspicious event.


Take care.

Justin Choo.