Is discipline important in Buddhist practice?

For Buddhist monks in the Theravada (meaning the ways of the elders) tradition, there are more than 200 disciplinary rules (called Vinaya) which they must abide. The goal of the strict practices is to achieve complete detachment from this world and become deathless. The cause of death, for all living things, is birth; if one is never born, he will never have to face the suffering of death.

Buddhism believe that one will be reborn after death, but the destination may be in the Heaven, human realm, ghost realm, animal realm, or the Hell. The cause of rebirth is attachment to worldly things; each of us feels attached to certain worldly things (wealth, sensual objects, relationship, fame, success, etc.) and subconsciously we don’t want to die or be separated from what we love or attached to. Because we want to stay in this world, consciously or subconsciously, our wish will be granted, but the destination of rebirth is not guaranteed. Strict adherence to the disciplinary rules is a precondition to escape the cycles of rebirth, or Wheel of Samsara.

All religions, as well as Atheism, believe in the theory of cause and effect. Everybody believes that he will get something if he do certain things. For example, if we study hard, we will become more intelligent. If we disobey traffic rules, we will end up with road accidents. If we pray to God and follow the commandments of our religion, we will go to the Heaven after death. If we do good deeds, we will somehow be rewarded.

If we do bad deeds, we will somehow be punished. In Buddhism, this theory of cause and effect is called karma and its fruition. We may say all religions, as well as Atheism, believe in the karmic process but in different linguistic forms. Another difference is the view about afterlife. Nevertheless, nobody would really believe there is no bad consequences in committing evil unwholesome deeds. Evil people just choose to be ignorant and not thinking about the potential bad consequences of their evil unwholesome deeds. Ignorance is bliss; they are not free-thinker but simply not thinking.

Outside the Theravada tradition, there are many different Buddhist sects. They don’t follow the oldest Suttas of Buddhism, which are contained in the collections of Digha Nikāya, Majjhima Nikāya, Saṁyutta Nikāya, and Anguttara Nikāya. They make their own Sutras, and they have their own disciplinary rules. Some sects have strict discipline for monks but some not so strict. Some sects practice cruelty, allow monks to have sexual intercourse, or get married. Some sects focus on meditation; some focus on chanting. Some sects advocate choosing to stay in the cycles of Samsara out of compassion for others.

Disciplinary rules for lay followers are not so strict. We are instructed to abide with the Five Precepts:

1) no killing of any living things,

2) no stealing,

3) no sexual misconduct,

4) no intoxication,

5) no wrong speech (lying, malicious/divisive talk, harsh speech, gossip).

Lay followers typically don’t seek to escape the cycles of Samsara but wish to be reborn in the Heaven or human realm after death. However, there is no guarantee that a Buddhist (monk or lay follower) will not be reborn in ghost realm, animal realm, or the Hell. It is all determined by the action or karma of each individual. The fruit of karma may ripen in this life or next life. The fruit of evil unwholesome karma which doesn’t ripen in this life may ripen in the after life.

It is not wise to bet that the fruit will never ripen forever. What if there is an afterlife? Conversely, it is best to do good deeds so that we don’t get bad fruition; we have nothing to lose even if there is no afterlife. We will stand to benefit if there is a next life after death. The good deeds which Buddhists are advised to do include Dana (charity), Sila (moral conduct), and Bhavana (self-cultivation). For our benefits in this life and also afterlife, Buddhists are instructed to follow the Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Thought, Right Action, Right Speech, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

The Buddha doesn’t encourage blind faith. Although Buddhists are instructed to find refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha of monks, we are told to believe the words of the Buddha only after consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion of the teaching. Faith is only the first step.

It must be followed by energy to investigate the Dharma and undergo the training, recollection and reflection on the Dharma, attain equanimity (Samadhi), and wisdom (Panna). Monks and lay followers are not allowed to pretend that they know which karma leads to what fruition; or who was the person in one’s past life; as if they can see the karmic process themselves with their own eyes. We must also not pretend that we know the destination of one’s rebirth, unless we really have the psychic power and not bluffing.

"Māgaṇḍiya, it is like a man blind from birth who could not see dark or bright shapes, nor green, yellow, red or crimson shapes, who could not see what is even or uneven, who could not see the stars, who could not see the moons and suns. If he should hear a man with vision saying: 'Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,' he would walk about searching for a white cloth.

But some man might deceive him with a greasy grimy coarse robe, saying: "My good man, this is a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,' and he might take it; having taken it, he might put it on; having put it on, he might, in his pride, utter a cry of pride: 'Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth.'

What do you think about this, Māgaṇḍiya? If that man, blind from birth, had known and seen, would he have taken that greasy grimy coarse robe; having taken it, would he have put it on; having put it on, would he, in his pride, have uttered the cry of pride: 'Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth'?”

“Or was it from faith in the man with vision?"

“The blind man might take a greasy grimy coarse robe; It was from faith in the man with vision."

"Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, wanderers belonging to other sects are blind, they are without vision; not knowing health, not seeing Nibbāna, they yet speak this verse: 'Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna the highest bliss.' But, Māgaṇḍiya, this verse was uttered in days gone by by perfected ones, fully Self-awakened Ones.” — Majjhima Nikāya 75.

“These five things, Bhāradvāja, have a twofold maturing here-now. What five? Faith, inclination, report, consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion. These, Bhāradvāja, are five things having a twofold maturing here-now. Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even although something may be thoroughly believed in, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, something not thoroughly believed in may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”

“Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even although something may be thoroughly inclined towards ... well reported ... well considered ... well reflected upon, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, even although something is not well reflected upon, it may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”

“Preserving a truth, Bhāradvāja, is not enough for an intelligent man inevitably to come to the conclusion: 'This alone the truth, all else is falsehood.'"

"Bhāradvāja, if a man has faith and says: 'Such is my faith,' speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: 'This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.'”

“And if, Bhāradvāja, a man has an inclination ... a report ... a consideration of reasons ... a reflection on and approval of an opinion and says: 'Such is my reflection on and approval of the opinion,' speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: 'This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.'”

“Bhāradvāja, suppose a monk is living depending on a village or market town; a householder or a householder's son, having approached him, examines him concerning three states: states of greed, states of aversion and states of confusion. While examining him, he knows thus:

'This venerable one does not have such states of greed that, his mind obsessed by such states of greed, while not knowing he would say, "I know," or while not seeing he would say, "I see," nor would he incite another to such a course as would be for a long time for his woe and ill.'

As is that venerable one's conduct of body, as is his conduct of speech, so is it not that of a greedy person.

And when this venerable one teaches Dharma, that Dharma is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful, excellent, beyond dialectic, subtle, intelligible to the wise; it is not a Dharma that could be well taught by a greedy person.

After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, then he examines him further on states of aversion, and states of confusion.

After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, states of aversion, and states of confusion, then he reposes faith in him; with faith born, he draws close; drawing close, he sits down near by; sitting down near by, he lends ear; lending ear, he hears Dharma; having heard Dharma, he remembers it; he tests the meaning of the things he remembers; while

testing the meaning, the things are approved of; if there is approval of the things, desire is born; with desire born, he makes an effort; having made an effort, he weighs it up; having weighed it up, he strives; being self-resolute, he realizes with his person the highest truth itself; and penetrating it by means of intuitive wisdom, he sees.

It is to this extent, Bhāradvāja, that there is an awakening to truth; it is to this extent that one awakens to truth; it is to this extent that we lay down an awakening to truth.” — Majjhima Nikāya 95.

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