To be Virtuous, One Must Get Rid of The Fourth Poison in Buddhism: Arrogance

< Buddhism in Plain Terms < 白话佛法共修分享    

Time : Saturday 2pm-4.15pm
Platform : ZOOM Cloud Meeting
Topic of Discussion : To be Virtuous, One Must Get Rid of The Fourth Poison in Buddhism: Arrogance

 

On 24 April 2021, Guan Yin Citta, Singapore held another online English Group Study. The session delved into Arrogance – the fourth poison in Buddhism teachings.

To help put things in perspective, the facilitator kicked off the session by presenting the seven types of Arrogance, of which one is a disguised Arrogance that may be misconstrued as humility. This set some participants thinking whether any of these traits are in them.

The participants learned that not only is Arrogance non-virtuous, they would also end up harming themselves, as pride makes them become ignorant, inducing them to create all sorts of negative karma.

In one of the short stories, bragging was illustrated as akin to extreme brightness. When you brag, you will cast a shadow over others, deceive others and cause them to lose their confidence.

All of these highlighted the importance for us to get rid of Arrogance.

 

Master Lu once said, “A genuinely successful person, will still shine when he keeps his head down and will still be respected and held in high esteem by others. Wisdom is about being humble and cautious at all times. The wise will humbly seek advice from others and learn as much as possible.”

 

To quell our Arrogance, Master Lu has the following advice for us:
❑ Practise humility and prudence;
❑ Give without expecting anything in return and not fighting for fame or status;
❑ Do not indulge in self-satisfaction;
❑ Being calm and unmoved by compliments and criticism;
❑ Faithfully observe the Buddhist precepts.

 

The session was rounded up with a beautifully crafted message, from Master Lu, “Whether you are a person of substance or one who is shallow; whether you are noble or lowly – these are not standards that are self-determined. In fact, o be a person of substance, one must possess the qualities of being serene, modest and neither haughty nor arrogant.”

In the upcoming session – scheduled on 1 May – the facilitator will share with us the causes and consequences of Suspicion, which is the fifth Poison in Buddhism, and methods to quell it.

 

? Let us now look at some comments from participants:

My biggest takeaway from the session is, we can let people feel happy with our humble and polite manner.

I learnt that the feeling of inferiority is also considered arrogance as they are unwilling to learn from others, they can’t accomplish the task and they refuse to listen to others. This is really an eye-opener!

 

?Join us in our next session 

Please contact Loh SX (96978356) / Woan Yi SX (82182248) for more information

 

 ⏰ Date and time:
Saturday 1 May 2021 (2.oopm – 4.00pm)

 

Please click here to download the Summary Slides shared during the Group Study:

 Summary Slides_The Fourth Poison in Buddhism_Arrogance

 

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WHAT ARE WE LEARNING TODAY?

 

< THE SEVEN TYPES OF PRIDE (ARROGANCE) >

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Master Jun Hong Lu: When other people’s ability or intelligence is not as good as yours, or similar to yours, when their knowledge and ability is comparable to yours in all aspects, conceited people will be arrogant, show disdain for others (对他人不屑一顾), look down on others. “Gee, you are pretty good! not too bad, you do know a thing or two”. Despite that, you still look down on him, though both of you are about in the same league. Both of you are equally special in different fields, but you still look down on him. This is the first type of pride. It’s called “Mana” (慢).

The second type is called “Atimana” (haughtiness) (过慢). Being excessively proud of oneself, haughtiness is when other’s ability is equivalent to yours in every aspect or exceeds yours, haughtiness makes you sit on your laurels, you feel great about yourself and believe that others can never surpass you (故步自封，觉得自己很了不起). “I am very good at it, no way he can surpass me”. You only look at the weaknesses of others and you are blind to their strength.

The third type is called “Manatimana” (pride and conceit) (慢过慢). When others’ ability far exceeds yours, your pride and your conceit will prompt you to distort the facts and making you believe that you will still outperform others (骄傲心会使你歪曲事实，仍然觉得自己会胜过别人). For example, someone answered a question very well, and you would say: “Maybe he has eaten something that makes him so quick-witted (算他脑子灵活)”. You can always find a reason.

The fourth type of pride is called “Asmimana”(我慢). Asmimana is pride of self, the conceit – “I am”. Our body is composed of Five Aggregates (五蕴假合之身), so there is no self. If you were born without a name and no name since, who are you? So let me tell you, egotism makes you boastful. With your big ego, you will prop yourself up and become very self-centred. “All of you have to respect me, follow my lead.”

The fifth one called “Adhimana” (or arrogance) (增上慢). Buddhists often talk about arrogance, many people don’t understand. It’s essentially pride, or conceit, so Adhimana (arrogance) occurs when a Buddhist practitioner has some spiritual achievements and gained some benefits once they have received some kind of extraordinary response (感应). They believe that they have attained some kind of spiritual fruitions (证到什么果位). “Wow, I can see this”, “I can see that”, “I can see Bodhisattvas”, “I can also see that”. They believe that they have reached some sort of spiritual accomplishments.

The sixth one is called “Unamana” (卑慢). Unamana is conceit of inferiority (自卑). It is derived from a sense of inferiority, feeling inferior to others. This kind of people are depraved willingly (自甘沉沦), they think they are inferior and they can’t accomplish anything, “I am good for nothing”, “I only mess things up”. You may say if that is the case, why would they be arrogant? What is there for them to be proud of? “I can’t do it”, “I won’t accomplish this”, “If you give me another task, I can get it done”. They are not willing to learn from others, they can’t accomplish the task and they refuse to listen to others. If you can’t do the job well, why don’t you learn from others?

The last one is called “Mithyamana” (conceit of hypocrisy) (邪慢). It is not authentic. When one doesn’t have much knowledge or good moral conduct, but in their pursuit of wealth and fame or for the sake of achieving their ends, they would use whatever means necessary to gain fame and status through dishonest means (通过各种手段虚假地获得名誉、地位). 

 

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< TO BE VIRTUOUS, ONE MUST GET RID OF ARROGANCE >

KEY MESSAGES

• Do not snub and look down on others, you must learn from other people’s strengths and correct your flaws.
• You must learn to respect and compliment others for your arrogance to disappear. When you are arrogant, people will keep a distance and conversely, when you are not arrogant, people will tend to like you.
• You are not compassionate when you make others feel inferior and embarrassed. Compassionate people are always considerate and care about how others feel; you must not let others feel upset with your behaviour.
• You must get rid of egoism, and not let it grow within you. If you constantly think how great you are, you will destroy the harmonic relationships between people.

 

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Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting (Q&A Session)
Jakarta, Indonesia, 20 April 2017
BUDDHIST PRACTITIONERS SHOULD NOT BE ARROGANT

Question: A Buddhist friend has been practising Guan Yin Citta for many years and has propagated the dharma to a few others. The Buddhist friend has always closely followed up with them to strengthen their faith. However, they have been cultivating worldly dharma even after all these years. The differences in their thinking and state of mind are making the communication with the Buddhist friend increasingly difficult. They are unable to come to a consensus regarding their preferred method of spiritual cultivation and understanding of Buddhist teachings, and this has impacted the Buddhist friend negatively. The Buddhist friend wishes to maintain some distance, but is met with criticism about putting safety over matters of principle. How should the Buddhist friend properly handle the relationship with the other practitioners?

Answer: Firstly, a Buddhist practitioner should not be arrogant, believing that their spiritual cultivation is superior to that of others. Do not say things like, “I’m cultivating Theravada Buddhism while he is cultivating Mahayana Buddhism”. The foundation of Mahayana Buddhism is Theravada Buddhism, that is why we should save ourselves before saving others.

You may tell others, “My spiritual cultivation is still less than ideal, I will save more sentient beings after I work on myself at home to become a better spiritual cultivator.” Nevertheless, you must be very polite with others, and have open communication. This is because Buddhism is all about understanding and seeing one’s true nature. If you do not even possess Buddha-nature, and refuse to interact with Buddhist friends, how can you call yourself a Buddhist practitioner? Not a single person would say, “I am doing well in spiritual cultivation, so I refuse to interact with others.”

Remember that a Bodhisattva is a sentient being that has gained wisdom while sentient beings are Bodhisattvas that have yet to gain wisdom. People are ultimately the same regardless of how well they learn, there are only minute differences in their level of understanding. Let go of your sense of self and get along well with others. This is what it means to be compassionate in learning Buddhism.

 

 

Words of Wisdom by Master Jun Hong Lu, 13 December 2015
DO NOT BE HAUGHTY OR ARROGANT

One day, a bus load of students had an accident. Many were injured and were moved to the road-side.  Passers-by came to lend a helping hand in the rescue effort.  One particular woman quickly attended to a badly injured student. A man squeezed his way through the crowd in a very rough manner and shoved the woman away, shouting at her, “Let me do it, I have first-aid knowledge”. He thought he could relieve the suffering of the injured student better than she could. The man was then surprised his first-aid knowledge caused the injured to wail even more due to acute pain.

When the woman saw that the man was at a loss and not knowing what to do next, she went forward, patted him on the shoulder and said, “Mister, should you need the help of a surgeon, I am right behind you.”

Remember, many of us make mistakes and suffer from our own wrongdoings due to our tendency to take others too lightly. Those whom we are indifferent to may know more than we do!

As the Chinese sayings go, “There are mountains beyond mountains, Heavens beyond Heavens (山外有山，天外有天)”,  “When I walk along with two others, they may serve as my teacher (三人行必有我师)”, and “Within ten steps, there must be fragrant grasses (十步之内必有芳草).”

We must let go of our haughtiness and arrogance. Never be complacent and do not blatantly disregard the existence of others (更不能自满自得无视他人的存在). Despising others turns us into ignorant people. That is our biggest mistake!

Think about our many wrongdoings at home. Haven’t they stemmed from our assumption that we are the most capable?  Many husbands think that their wives’ efforts in cooking are nothing, until they attempt to do it themselves.

 

Wenda20150901 01:17:07 (Master Lu’s call-in radio program) (An Excerpt)
WHAT’S MOST CHALLENGING IS FOR ONE TO BEAR PRAISES

Master Jun Hong Lu: When someone scolds or slanders you, you are able to practise tolerance. What about if they sing your praises? What’s most challenging is for one to bear praises.

When this happens, you have to understand that everything in this world is illusory and unreal. Regardless if they are scolding or praising you, take it as if they are not true statements and you will not give rise to non-equanimity in your mind.

The problem with people is that when they are praised, they will go into a state of immeasurable self-satisfaction. Just like me today, so many people are praising me because of my Dharma propagation efforts. If I am not propagating the Dharma, I am just an insignificant Radio Station Master; I am nobody. Therefore, one should always be in touch with one’s Buddha nature. Do not indulge in self-satisfaction or feel that we are superior when others praise us.

What is there to be proud of? You are just a human. You are still doing so many unwholesome deeds every single day; your body stinks, so is your mind – do you still believe that you are superior? Hence, even when we are being praised, we should learn to restrain ourselves. Take it as “I have not done good enough and I have to put in even more effort. I am not worthy of their praises”. 

Just like when people comment that your face resembles that of Bodhisattva, does that mean you are one? You are nothing if not for the light of Buddha that is shining on you!

A person who propagates Buddhism should never be arrogant or self-righteous. You have to think lowly of yourselves and that you are worthless. Only then will you not be arrogant and not give rise to non-equanimity. There is nothing to be proud of, really. So what if you were Napoleon or Julius Caesar? 

 

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Italy
24 September 2017
MAINTAIN OUR HUMILITY AND REMEMBER TO KEEP OUR HEAD DOWN

Master Jun Hong Lu: Even though many of us may be outstanding in our own unique ways; we should not forget that no matter how good we think we are, there is always someone out there who is better. Hence, we must always remind ourselves to keep our head down and be humble; let us be steadfast in our endeavours and we will realise there are so many more people who will hold us in high regard. A genuinely successful person, will still shine when he keeps his head down and will still be respected and held in high esteem by others.

Wenda20170326A 01:00:47 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
WISDOM ENCOMPASSES MODESTY AND PRUDENCE

Caller: A Buddhist practitioner thought that he was not diligent in cultivation.  However, other Buddhist practitioners, who know him very well, had dreams that he cultivated well.  For example, they dreamt that he became a Bodhisattva, brought a lot of delicious food for other Buddhist friends, or had a divine power to help them.  Nonetheless, he does not think of himself in that way.  What is the reason behind this?

Master Jun Hong Lu: When others say that you are good, but you do not think in that way, you are indeed humble.  I mentioned this during my recent public talk: I said: “What is wisdom?  Wisdom is about being humble and cautious at all times.  A wise person will humbly seek advice from others and learn a lot.  You will not make mistakes if you do things cautiously and work on your goals one step at a time. So wisdom encompasses modesty and prudence.  Understand?

Caller: I understand now, thank you Master Lu.

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 391)
21 June 2020
TOO MUCH HUMILITY IS PRIDE

Question: How should we understand the saying, ‘Too much humility is pride’?  What kind of situation is considered being overly humble?

Answer: Being overly humble is when one has the ability to do something, but he refuses to do so by giving an excuse that, ‘I can’t do it, I can’t do it’.  He will only agree to do it after repeated requests from others, as he expects others to ask or beg him, which is a reflection of his inflated ego.  It is no longer a matter of being arrogant, but rather an act of breaking the precept.

2020-10-23 Master Lu’s Dharma Talk
Inspirational Short Stories: THE ARROGANT MONKEY

During the Warring States periods in China (771-221BC), the King of Wu climbed up the Monkey Mountain. All the monkeys fled away upon seeing so many people in armour, except one which swung and jumped from branch to branch to show off his agility.

The king shot at the monkey with an arrow, but surprisingly, the monkey caught the arrow. The king was angry, and ordered his followers to shoot the monkey simultaneously, and it was killed.

The king approached Yan Buyi and said, “This monkey was asking for his doom by trying to show off his dexterity and despising me, the king. You too, watch your demeanour and don’t be arrogant.”

Yan Buyi was horrified and sought help from sage Dong Wu to get rid of his arrogance. He wanted to become humble and improve on his disposition.

The sage told him, “A Buddhist would be able to see the vanity of the world and let it go. Be cautious, as working for a king is as dangerous as getting along with a tiger.” Since then, Yan Buyi was no longer proud of himself; he distanced himself from fame and vanity, declined glory, splendour, wealth and rank. Three years later, he finally regained the appreciation of the king.

As a Buddhist practitioner, you must not be haughty. Refrain from judging others based upon your limited capability, talent, and knowledge of Buddhism, since you may not know what you possess represents only a smattering (limited amount) of knowledge in the eyes of others. Being arrogant usually does not end well. As Buddhist practitioners, we should refrain from being arrogant; instead, our minds should remain tranquil like still water. Bear in mind only when you are calm can you discover the truth of this world.

 

 

Wenda20161023B  31:48  (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
ARROGANT PEOPLE  COULD, AT BEST, ONLY ASCEND TO THE ASURA REALM

Caller: Nowadays, there are many people who are outright arrogant, and yet,  completely unaware nor realise that they are displaying such an attitude. If you observe closely, you will notice that these people have an exaggerated sense of self-love, selfishness and are unable to accept critical feedback. Not acknowledging  or eradicating this bad attitude and yet, are unwilling to let go of selfishness and the notion of self, would only impede your spiritual cultivation, let alone cultivating a heart of gratitude and compassion. Master, can you enlighten us on this.

Master Jun Hong Lu: Firstly, the highest realm an arrogant person could ascend to, is the Asura realm. They will not be able to attain any higher, not even the Heaven realm. Secondly, such an attitude develops  after a prolonged period of sticking to one’s bad habits. Therefore, you have to strive to overcome your ignorance, because a person’s sense of superiority is attributable to his ignorance. A successful person, on the other hand, will always be receptive to others’ opinions.

You have seen  how I educate my disciples by deliberately helping them to overcome arrogance? I would intentionally reprimand them before others till they let go of the attachment to ‘self’. In doing so, they are free from all possible elements that can cause them harm. Many people are highly egoistic. They would feel embarrassed by my remarks and would hope for a hole where they could bury their heads in.  Let me tell you, these are all due to ignorance. 

We came into this world with nothing, so what ego are you trying to defend? If you think so highly of yourself,  why don’t you make an attempt  to transcend the cycle of rebirth. What ego have you got when you even went to the extent of picking up human faecal to eat when you were little? As you grow older, you realise that everything in this world is false, empty and illusory. I want you to know that your purpose in the human realm is to practise spiritual cultivation, and to borrow what’s false to cultivate what’s true. What do you own? As the saying goes, “While the Great Wall still exists today, long gone is the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty.”

 

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< HOW TO STOP BEING ARROGANT? >

 

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Words of Wisdom (Volume 2)

To test how deep the water is, simply throw in a stone. 

People who brag about themselves are like a stone hitting shallow water; they make a big splash.

Modest people are always silent, just like a stone thrown into deep water.

 

 

Wenda20180608 39:08 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
WHAT SHOULD WE RELY ON TO ELIMINATE ARROGANCE

Caller: Greed, anger, ignorance are eliminated through discipline, concentration and wisdom. In that case, what should we rely on to eliminate arrogance?

Master Jun Hong Lu: Rely on humility and prudence (谦虚, 谨慎) so as to guard against arrogance and impatience. Do not be haughty; one should not be arrogant as after all, what does Bodhisattva teach us? Bodhisattva teaches us to be modest.

Caller: Yes, indeed. 

Master Jun Hong Lu: Bodhisattva also teaches us to faithfully observe the Buddhist precepts. If you observe the precepts, you will not be arrogant or view others with suspicion, isn’t this so? 

Caller: Yes, we must use the Buddhist precepts as a foundation for our spirituality.

Master Jun Hong Lu: When you have trust in all sentient beings, how would you ever develop suspicions?

Caller: I understand now, Master 

Wenda20160325   25:09 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
WORK WITH ALL- OUT EFFORT, BEHAVE HUMBLY, REMAIN CALM AND UNMOVED BY COMPLIMENTS OR CRITICISM

Caller: Master Lu gave a discourse in Indonesia, asking us to “Work with all-out effort, behave humbly, remain indifferent to compliments and criticism, and guard against arrogance and impatience”. Could Master Lu elaborate on how to be considered as “Working with all-out effort and to behave humbly?”

Master Jun Hong Lu: “Work with all-out effort” is not asking you to be boastful, but to work with seriousness and to give your best.  Do I need to elaborate on “Behaving humbly”?  Give without expecting anything in return and do not fight for fame or status; that is being humble. Being calm and unmoved by compliments and criticism is to preserve equanimity under any circumstances.  Treat everything in life as the best arrangement as determined by Bodhisattva.

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhist Friends Session, Hong Kong SAR, China
5 July 2016 (An Excerpt)
BEING A BRAGGART WILL HURT OTHERS

Master Jun Hong Lu: There are people saying, “There is nothing wrong with showing off and being proud of myself. I did nothing to hurt others, thus, why am I prohibited from boasting?”

A disciple asked the Zen Master, “Bragging is just to show off oneself, no one is hurt in the process. Thus, why is it wrong to do so?”

The Master replied, “Do you know why we are unable to see stars during day time? This is because the extreme brightness from the sun outshines the brightness of the stars.

To our imagination, the brighter it is, the clearer our vision will be. It turns out, when the light is too bright, it is more likely to cloud our vision than darkness. It is as if we are blinded when exposed to extreme glare.” The Master went on to say, “Bragging is akin to extreme brightness. When you brag, you will cast a shadow over others, deceive others and cause them to lose their confidence. As your strong light outshines the faint light of others, is it not hurting others?”

Wenda20161127A 33:50 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
HOW DO WE STOP OURSELVES FROM BRAGGING?

Caller: Master Lu, how do we eliminate our inclination to brag?

Master Jun Hong Lu: In any conversation, as long as you speak what is necessary, it is not considered as bragging. Once you have made your message understood by the other party, don’t dwell on the subject anymore. It will help you guard against bragging.  Rattling on about how good you are is considered bragging, isn’t it?

Caller: That’s right.

Master Jun Hong Lu: For example, in the process of helping the others, you may speak at length about how much effort you have put. However, in the end, if you keep harping on how good you are and how diligent you have been practising Buddhism, isn’t this bragging? The other party has already fully understood what you are trying to say, so stop talking! Stop before you go too far, observe moderation in everything you do. Say only what is necessary as dwelling on something at length would be meaningless.

Caller: I understand now, Master Lu. Thank you for answering my question.

 

 

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Los Angeles, USA
September 11, 2016
AVOID BEING JUDGEMENTAL ON FOUR ASPECTS

 Master Jun Hong Lu: “I want you to learn that in our Buddhism practice and everyday life, there are 4 things that we should not pass judgement on:

Firstly, do not judge the good or bad of others, as it does not have any effect on your life.

Secondly, do not judge the morality and the conduct of others, as you are not necessarily nobler than them.

Thirdly, do not judge others’ family, as it will affect your equanimity.

Fourthly, do not judge those whom you look down upon, not even those whom you despised the most, as you will become haughty and arrogant; consequently turning you into a disgusting person.”

 

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<WAYS IN WHICH HUMILITY AND MODESTY ARE CONSIDERED AS MERITORIOUS BLESSINGS >

 

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 170)
WAYS IN WHICH HUMILITY AND MODESTY ARE CONSIDERED AS MERITORIOUS BLESSINGS

Caller: Why is it said that being humble and modest is a meritorious blessing?

Master Jun Hong Lu: Firstly, wouldn’t others feel happy if you were humble and treated them well? For example, if you were to humbly put your palms together in a respectful greeting to someone who is currently performing recitation, wouldn’t the other party feel happy about the gesture?

Secondly, the other party would feel that all Buddhist practitioners are kind and disciplined – don’t you think this would then strengthen their faith in Buddhism? Such an act of encouragement is indeed a meritorious deed.

On the other hand, if they are unable to find a single Buddhist friend who is diligently performing recitation and cultivating spiritually, they may then slacken and eventually give up on their practice.

Thirdly, respecting the elderly and loving the young are positive attributes and recognised as another meritorious deed.

Finally, you serve as a good role model due to your practice in Buddhism, allowing others to recognise that Buddhist practitioners are the epitome of people who respect the elderly and love the young. Naturally, this is another meritorious act.

 

 

< Buddhism in Plain Terms < 白话佛法共修分享