A Good Reputation

By Category: Buddhism in Everyday LifeTags:

Do not speak of others’ faults, and do not talk of your own virtues. Wisely contemplate the oneness and equality of all sentient beings, and you will enjoy a good reputation.

—Sutra on the Principles of the Six Paramitas

Do not speak of others’ faults

We should always try to see the good in others, not the bad. On the samsaric level of this saha world alone, back-biting and faultfinding are known by most people to be totally counter-productive. Not only does faultfinding produce nothing but anger and mistrust, but the effects of negative speech also create an environment in which it becomes difficult to do anything positive.

If you find yourself behaving this way, bite your tongue and seriously reflect on your behavior at the first convenient moment.

Negativity and excessive criticism lead nowhere but downhill. Usually people engage in these practices out of feelings of jealousy, anger, or low self-esteem. Once you become sensitive to the enormous problems cause by faultfinding, you will be much less prone to engage in it again.

Having encouraged sensitivity on the subject, let me quickly add that over-sensitivity toward criticism of you is to be avoided at all costs. This is the bodhisattva path; we are gentle with others no matter what. We do not violate them, and if they should violate us, we do not feel disturbed.

Do not talk of your own virtues

The bodhisattva seeks to live perfectly within the inherent equality of all life. He does not attack others and he is not proud of himself. This is balance. This is equanimity. Just as we should not be negative toward others in what we say, so we should never allow ourselves to sing our own praises. If you have any virtues at all, they will be noticed by others. Let others praise you if there must be praise, but do not praise yourself.

Wisely contemplate the oneness and equality of all sentient beings

When you are able to do this, you will be beyond all praise and blame. You will see that there is no such thing as praise or blame. The gaze of one who is compassionate can see this for compassion is the highest wisdom. In the depths of compassion, we become aware that there are no differences among the myriad sentient beings of this vast universe. The Buddha mind, the bodhi mind, and the minds of sentient beings are the same. In this consciousness, all dualities merge into the universal truth. In this consciousness:

Language is gone
The mind is still
Without beginning
Without end
This is Nirvana
All else is the way of the world
Only this is the highest Siddhanta.

—Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra

From Being Good, written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Image from Pixabay.

More Featured Articles

The Meaning of Compassion
Although "compassion is the foundation of Buddhism" is a popular slogan, compassion is not the exclusive property of Buddhists. It is a common treasure shared by all sentient beings. Because there is compassion in this world, life is full of meaning. As we endure the trials and tribulations life offers us, compassion inspires us with endless visions. The mind of compassion is the ever-flowing fountainhead Read more
Healing Afflictions
What are people supposed to do when they are troubled by afflictions? Some people are troubled by very specific things, others encounter poverty, and many have poor relations with other people. Some individuals are disturbed the moment they hear even the slightest comment they do not like, or they become angry when they see someone doing something they do not approve of. This sort of Read more
What is Chan?
Chan is meditation throughout our lives. When we live with Chan, the taste of food and feel of clothes will change. We will not feel difficulty when dealing with our affairs. Any matter can be laughed away. The human world has its ups and down, but when we have a Chan mind it is like the world is ours and nothing is lacking. All human Read more
I Am Not a Monk “Sponging Off” Buddhism (II)
It is enough for most monks to only have the ability to chant and teach the Dharma, and of course I too can chant sutras and teach the Dharma. But only being this kind of monk was not something I was willing to do. I wanted to become a monk who was able to engage in propagating the Dharma in a multifaceted way: There is Read more
The Forty-Eight Vows of Amitabha Buddha
The Forty-Eight Vows of Amitabha Buddha as recorded in the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life.  [1] If I should attain Buddhahood, yet there would be hell beings, hungry ghosts, or animals in my land, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.[2] If I should attain Buddhahood, yet humans and heavenly beings in my land would again be in the three lower realms after the end of Read more
The Unsurpassed Value of Impermanence
Birth and death are realities of life. Regardless of who we are, we cannot escape either one. While birth is celebrated, death is feared by most. In order to cope with our fear, we often seek comfort in religion. Although each of the world's major religious traditions has its own teaching concerning death, Buddhism is the only one that promotes the doctrine of impermanence as one Read more
The Significance of Breathing
In the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections, the Buddha asked his disciples, "How long is one's life?" One of the monks replied, "A few years." The next one answered, "A few days!" Another one said, "Less than one day!" Another responded, "Between meals!" Finally, the Buddha said, "Life lasts for the duration of one breath." Life is extraordinarily precious and yet it is based on a Read more
The Way to Help Others
Compassion is the father, the bodhi mind the mother. Good methods are like friends because they save all sentient beings. — Great Collection of True Dharmas Sutra Compassion Is the Father Compassion removes suffering and creates joy. The sutra says, “The power of the Dharma is beyond expression. Nothing can obstruct compassion.” Compassion is the root source of all good. Compassion is the heart of Read more
The Way to Practice
If your mind is in balance, what need is there to work at morality? If your behavior is correct, what use is meditation to you? If you understand mercy, then you will naturally care for your parents. If you understand faithful conduct, then all of society will be in order.—Platform Sutra of the Sixth PatriarchA Balanced MindMental balance results from understanding that self-respect is a Read more
From the Space outside Us to the Space inside Us
Most of us have an idea of what constitutes the space outside us; it is the environment in which we live. This includes the house we live in, the city we live in, or even the world we live in. Just as we need to skillfully manage our relationship to others, to the environment, and to wealth, we also need to properly manage our relationship Read more
What is Meditation?
One of the great advantages of sitting meditation is that you can take it with you wherever you go. Whether you are in a forest deep in the mountains or beside a stream among the grass and reeds, you can develop meditative concentration just by sitting down and crossing your legs.But what is meditation? Does it come from sitting, standing, or lying down? Huineng, the Read more
Healing the Body
Technological progress and advances in modern science have led to material improvements that have enhanced the quality of people’s lives on many levels. Yet, no matter how much we have progressed or how advanced our technology is, there still remain fundamental problems in life that science will never be able to solve.Two of the greatest problems people face are birth and death. No sooner are Read more