By Venerable Sartha Sor from Wat Khmer Melbourne
A Message of Hope should be one that anyone can rely on to raise confidence to achieve/reach what he or she wants to obtain.
It should not just be a thought or prayer. Personal action is needed to power hearty and persistent efforts to attain the wanted goal.
I propose to show such a set of efforts according to the Buddhist tradition with progressive steps that will lead to a final end result of a happy livelihood of broad contentment and satisfaction.
The starting step is an orderly and disciplined way of living which must be nurtured and protected from slipping into evil thought, evil action and evil speech.
This step could begin with good observance of the precepts and moralities such as not killing any life however small it is, not stealing others’ belongings, not telling lies and/or using foul language, not abusing alcohol, and respecting and helping each other.
With these first steps firmly maintained, regret for past wrongdoings is discarded thus giving way to mildly contented living that is free from worries and anxiety.
These intensified steps bring about an increased contented and happier way of living that gives rise to loving kindness, compassion, altruism and equanimity.
This state is a natural pathway toward calmness, tranquility, leading to salutary mind, act and communication away from anger, grudge and ill-will.
With a firm and greater state of calmness and tranquility of mind, more inclination to raise the level of wholesome deeds comes to being.
This in turn strengthens the right concentration of mind away from depression, stress, excitement, and impulsive feelings.
With stronger concentration, the mind becomes clearer for nothing will obstruct it to see and understand the natural process of the living a normal day life as it happens in reality.
This means these happenings are not the act of anybody or any deity but they happen naturally.
Thus having seen and understood that process of natural happenings, the agreeable gladness feeling is fading away leading to an aversion in the living.
This level of living is none other than the station for such a fleeting, changing, miserable entity as a current being that is unavoidably aging, decaying with all kinds of sickness, and ultimately death.
The above aversion reached at the steps constitutes the condition to get away from the current existence, a disgruntled existence of hardship and misery thus liberating the mind from the cycle of rebirths.
This is the ultimate beneficial result of this cognitive process.
May all people be blessed.
