Layperson Zhuang Chunjiang: Fundamentals of Buddhist Practice — Chapter 5: The Dharma in Daily Life — Section 1: Discipline of the Six Sense Faculties

Chapter 5: The Dharma in Daily Life

Section 1: Discipline of the Six Sense Faculties

The Dharma Is the Dharma of Daily Life

The most precious gift of the Dharma is its ability to fully resolve the suffering and distress we live with. And that suffering and distress arise right in the midst of our everyday lives. So if our Dharma practice can’t weave itself into daily life, if we can’t put it into practice in the ordinary moments of our days and reap real, tangible benefits from it—resolving the troubles we face right now, and steadily lessening the weight of our afflictions—then studying Buddhism may end up as nothing more than emotional comfort, or worship of an icon, a trivial adornment to life. It will never fulfill its true purpose: purifying the mind and liberating life [1]. If that’s all our practice comes to, we might as well not have studied at all.

What’s more, if the way we practice the Dharma falls out of step with the mainstream way of life in the society we live in, most people will struggle to accept it. No matter how precious or beneficial the Dharma may be, if the majority of people cannot embrace it, it will slowly fade from memory. When people stop putting it into practice, the Dharma’s benefits, its value and its light, fade from sight. All that remains are crumbling historic sites people visit to mourn the past, or cultural relics—how could that ever fulfill the ideal of "the true Dharma dwelling long in the world"? The disappearance of Buddhism from India and the Western Regions, and its decline and stagnation in China after the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it was pushed to the edges of mainstream society [2], are already warnings of this exact pattern. This is why the Dharma is the Dharma of daily life. Pull it away from ordinary life, separate it from the lives of ordinary people, and there is no Dharma left at all.

What, exactly, is our daily life? Every era has its own distinct rhythms and ways of living, shaped by shifts in economic activity. There are countless differences across trades, ethnic groups, cultures, and customs, of course. But the common thread is this: our six sense faculties are constantly coming into contact with objects of perception, processing those objects, and from that processing spring all kinds of subsequent mental and behavioral developments. The Buddha called this our "world" [3]. This world of ours is just our everyday life. Sorrow, grief, anxiety, affliction, and distress all arise here. Nirvana, liberation, is also realized here [4]. The stage, the domain, the scope of both affliction and liberation is the same: it is the ordinary daily life where our six sense faculties meet the six sense objects. When we say that birth and death (affliction) is itself liberation, when we say that the mundane world and nirvana have "no distinction between the two realms" [5], we mean their scope is one and the same. There is no separate nirvana realm beyond the bounds of daily life. Entering nirvana is the final goal of Dharma practice (the Buddha was himself a liberated one), and since liberation is never separate from daily life, Dharma practice is never separate from daily life either.

Today, most people are caught up in constant busyness. The majority are 9-to-5 office workers, lucky to get two full days of regular rest each week. In this kind of living environment, if we only emphasize retreating into deep mountains and wilderness, or overpromote isolated, austere practice that severs ties to ordinary ways of life, we will cut ourselves off from human society entirely. The ideal of the true Dharma dwelling long in the world will be at risk. So this should be a basic understanding for modern Buddhist practitioners: we need to focus on the Buddha’s teachings on how the six sense faculties meet the six sense objects, and draw from the scriptures forms of Dharma practice that fit the demands of daily life in our time.

Senior Monk’s Meditation

What does Dharma practice in daily life look like, according to the Buddha’s teachings? Let’s explore this through the example of the Venerable Śāriputra, one of the Buddha’s foremost disciples, renowned for his unsurpassed wisdom [6] and eloquent, unimpeded speech [7]. Once, while meditating, he entered the samadhi of emptiness, which the Buddha praised as the "Senior Monk’s Meditation."

How does one enter this samadhi? The Buddha taught that any bhikkhu (or any person, for that matter) who wishes to enter this state should keep this vigilant mindfulness close at all times: when walking the path into the city, when entering the city for almsround, when walking back after finishing their alms collection, they should ask themselves: when my eyes see external objects, do I give rise to craving, attachment, or clinging? If, upon reflection, they notice they have indeed given rise to these unwholesome states, they should immediately seek out an effective antidote to pull their mind away from craving and clinging. It’s like if the clothes you are wearing catch fire and the flames reach your head: it is an emergency, and you must find a way to put them out immediately. If you can successfully stay free of craving and clinging every time you see something with your eyes, your mind will be undisturbed by these afflictions, filled instead with joy (the joy of the Dharma). This joy will motivate you to stay vigilant against craving at every moment, allowing you to maintain pure, unbroken practice day and night [8].

Almsround was a way of life for many spiritual practitioners in the Buddha’s time in India, not just his followers, and is believed to have been a widely accepted social custom of the era [9]. Back then, most ordained Buddhist disciples lived on the outskirts of towns and cities: far enough to escape the noise and bustle that would hinder meditation practice, but close enough that traveling to and from settlements for alms did not take too much time or effort. Entering the city for alms was often the part of a wandering disciple’s day when they interacted with the most people. Beyond just gathering the food they needed to sustain their physical bodies, they could use these interactions with villagers to spread the Dharma and benefit others. But this was also the moment when practitioners received the most sensory stimulation and faced the greatest tests of their practice. The scriptures use the example of seeing form with the eyes, but we can easily extend this to the other sense faculties: ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. All of them require the same freedom from attachment and infatuation when they encounter their objects.

This is a practice method focused on staying alert to craving as it arises in the process of the six sense faculties recognizing the six sense objects, cutting it off before it can take root. Looking at the full meaning behind the Buddha’s praise of the Senior Monk’s Meditation, he was not just lauding the "samadhi of emptiness" itself, but the preparatory work that comes before entering it: the guarding, reflective mindfulness that begins the moment you set out for alms in the city. In modern terms, this is the mental preparation you do ahead of time. Of course, the principle behind this is not limited to almsround alone. It applies to every moment of daily life, whether you are walking, standing, sitting, or lying down: stay alert and guarded at all times, reflect constantly on whether craving and clinging have arisen, and if they have, apply an antidote right away.

In modern Taiwan, it is nearly impossible for monastics to sustain themselves through almsround, and very few do so. They do not live in forest groves or mountain caves, and meditation practice usually takes place in a monastery’s meditation hall, not under a tree. These conditions differ greatly from those described in the scriptures, and the gap is even wider for laypeople living ordinary lives. Even though the small details of our lives are so different, and even if the specific methods for practicing the "samadhi of emptiness" from the Buddha’s time have been lost to history, the way people react when their six sense faculties meet the six sense objects is exactly the same. The principle of staying alert to attachment and infatuation, and applying antidotes to craving and clinging, is still clear and applicable. It turns out that meditation practice is not confined to the meditation hall. When you step out of the hall, you still need the Dharma!

Restraint of the Six Sense Faculties

In daily life, when the six sense faculties meet the six sense objects, not giving rise to craving, attachment, or clinging is called the "restraint of the six sense faculties" in the scriptures. What is this "restraint"? It is the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit term saṃvara, which carries two meanings: prohibition and protective guarding [10]. In other words, it is the guarding of the mind that prevents unwholesome actions. Though it has these two layers of meaning, it places far greater emphasis on the aspect of guarding.

The scriptures describe it this way: a well-learned noble disciple, when their six sense faculties encounter objects, does not give rise to desire for agreeable, "pleasant-to-contemplate" objects, nor to displeasure or anger at disagreeable, "unpleasant-to-contemplate" objects, and of course does not let these initial reactions develop into further thoughts and actions. Because the noble disciple can clearly see the harm these thoughts would bring—affliction and distress—they are able to let them go. This is called restraint. Ordinary, unawakened people, on the other hand, cannot see the harm these thoughts might cause, so they cannot let them go. When they encounter something agreeable, they give rise to craving and attachment. When they encounter something disagreeable, they give rise to anger and rejection. It does not stop there: from craving and attachment, from anger and rejection, they go on to develop all kinds of unwholesome thoughts and actions. This is called "unrestrained" [11].

The scriptures speak of restraint and unrestraint in the context of the functioning of the six sensory faculties: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. When we fully recognize an object, this is called "contact." Contact arises dependent on the six sense faculties, and can then develop into feeling and craving. For this reason, contact is also called the "six sense faculties’ point of contact," while the Pali Canon refers to it as the "six sense bases" (saḷāyatana). The scriptures say that "restraint at the six sense faculties’ point of contact" is the foundation of the three wholesome actions of body, speech, and mind. In other words, practicing the restraint of the six sense faculties (this guarding) allows the three wholesome actions to be fully realized.

How do we practice the restraint of the six sense faculties? Its content is the same as the "restraint" we discussed earlier: do not cling to agreeable objects, and do not reject or despise disagreeable ones [12]. Not giving rise to attachment and infatuation, not giving rise to anger: this is the core of the "restraint of the six sense faculties" (or simply "restraint" for short).

But the key to all this lies in a deeper question: why do agreeable and disagreeable feelings or thoughts arise in the first place? Hidden behind our judgments of things as agreeable or disagreeable is the "I"—the delusion of self-view and self-clinging.

When ordinary people encounter an object, this delusion is already at work in the moment of "contact," which is why it is called "deluded contact." If we approach what we encounter from a self-centered standpoint, unable to see the conditions at play, or unable to respond to those conditions skillfully, then when things go our way (when we find them agreeable), craving follows. When things go against us (when we find them disagreeable), rejection, dissatisfaction, and anger arise. These then grow into actions of body, speech, and mind that fulfill and satisfy that craving and anger. What good can come of actions driven by craving and anger? Only actions free of craving and anger are pure. These pure actions are the three wholesome actions, which are also the ten wholesome actions [13]. The scriptures say this is the foundation for fully completing the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness [14]. It is not just the foundation for the four foundations alone, but for all other practices as well: it is the foundation for practicing the entire Dharma. By "foundation," we do not mean it is simple. We mean it is necessary, indispensable.

So how do we successfully guard ourselves when the six sense faculties meet the six sense objects, so that craving and anger do not arise? Why is it that even after studying Buddhism for some time, our success rate at this guarding is still so low? There is no need to be discouraged. The scriptures describe those who are skilled at this guarding and applying antidotes as noble disciples, awakened beings. If we have not yet reached that level of awakening, failing often is only natural.

If we look at the process of renunciation practice that moves through "subduing, cutting off, and transcending" [15], then subduing is itself part of the work of guarding and renunciation. Subduing means applying antidotes and making corrections. Though these are often after-the-fact remedies, for ordinary people they may be the most urgent need. Most of us lack the ability to prevent afflictions before they arise, and we often find ourselves unable to stay free of craving and anger. When craving and anger do arise, we cannot just let them run wild unchecked. We need to "apply strong, effective means, and work hard to extinguish them." Here, "strong" means intensified, reinforced; "means" refers to methods, especially effective techniques and skills. So "strong, effective means" means we should actively seek out effective antidotes to these afflictions. "Work hard to extinguish them" has two layers of meaning: on one hand, it refers to cooling and calming the craving and anger that have already arisen in the present moment. On the other hand, it refers to using this present antidote to enter the practice of self-subduing, so that we can successfully guard against these afflictions in the future and not fall into them again. So even though post-hoc correction is like locking the barn door after the horse has bolted, it is still a step on the path to the "restraint of the six sense faculties."

Notes

[1] Quoted from Master Hongyin: "Studying Buddhism is not: satisfying superficial forms; worshiping icons; seeking emotional comfort; relying on authority. Studying Buddhism is: purifying the mind; liberating life; perfecting wisdom and blessing." [2] Reference: My View on Religion, "2. The Rise and Fall of Religion in China and Confucianism," pp. 45–50, by Master Yinshun. [3] "The Buddha told Jīvaka: 'Take the eye, form, eye-consciousness, eye contact, and the feelings that arise from eye contact—inner awareness that is painful, pleasant, or neither. The same is true for the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind: phenomena, mind-consciousness, mind contact, and the feelings that arise from mind contact—inner awareness that is painful, pleasant, or neither. This is called the world. Why is that? When the six sense faculties gather, contact gathers; this continues until the complete gathering of great suffering.'" Samyutta Nikāya 230. [4] "At that time, Ānanda addressed the bhikkhus: 'Venerables! Take the eye as the world: the name of the world, the perception of the world, the terms of the world, the speech about the world—all of these fall into the category of the world. The same is true for the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. A well-learned noble disciple who knows the arising, cessation, allure, danger, and escape from the six sense faculties as they truly are is called a noble disciple who has reached the end of the world, who knows the world, what is esteemed in the world, and who has crossed over the world.'" Samyutta Nikāya 234. [5] "There is not the slightest difference between nirvana and the mundane world; there is not the slightest difference between the mundane world and nirvana. The ultimate nature of nirvana, and the boundary of the mundane world: between these two boundaries, there is not a hair’s breadth of difference." Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Taishō Tripiṭaka 30, p. 36a). [6] "The Blessed One said: 'In the past I had a disciple named Śāriputra, who was foremost in wisdom...'" Ekottara Āgama 24.37. [7] "The Venerable Śāriputra, walking meditation with many bhikkhus nearby, was endowed with great wisdom and eloquence." Samyutta Nikāya 447. [8] "Śāriputra said to the Buddha: 'Blessed One! I am now abiding in the samadhi of emptiness in the forest.' The Buddha said to Śāriputra: 'Excellent, excellent, Śāriputra! You are now abiding in the Senior Monk’s Meditation while you meditate. Bhikkhus who wish to enter this Senior Monk’s Meditation should train themselves thus: when entering the city, when walking on almsround, when leaving the city, they should reflect in this way: now that my eyes see form, do I give rise to desire, affection, longing, or clinging? Śāriputra! When a bhikkhu reflects in this way, if their eye consciousness has arisen with affection, longing, or clinging toward form, they should, for the sake of abandoning unwholesome states, apply diligent, effective effort, and train themselves with focused mindfulness. It is like a person whose head and clothes are on fire: to extinguish it completely, they must apply strong, effective means and work hard to put it out. A bhikkhu should do the same: apply strong, diligent, effective effort, and train themselves with focused mindfulness. If a bhikkhu, while reflecting, has no affection, longing, or clinging in their eye consciousness toward form when walking on the road, when going for alms in the village, when leaving the village, they should, with this joy and wholesome root, practice with diligent, focused mindfulness day and night. This is called a bhikkhu who purifies almsround in all their activities of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. For this reason, this scripture is called the "Discourse on Pure Almsround Living."'" Samyutta Nikāya 236. [9] "In this land of China there are ninety-six kinds of outsiders, all of whom know about this life and the next, each with their own followers. They all go for alms, but they do not carry alms bowls. They also seek blessings by building merit halls on the sides of roads and in the wilderness; they provide housing, beds, food, and supplies to travelers, monastics, and passersby, but their goals are different from ours." Memoirs of the Eminent Monk Faxian (Taishō Tripiṭaka 51, p. 861a). [10] Reference: Encyclopedia of Chinese Buddhism, "Restraint," p. 3303b. [11] The Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "...I will now teach restraint and unrestraint. What is unrestraint? What is restraint? A foolish, unlearned ordinary person, after seeing form with the eye, gives rise to craving and attachment to agreeable forms, and gives rise to anger at disagreeable forms. From this, a continuous succession of many thoughts and perceptions arises in turn; they do not see the harm in these thoughts, and even when they do see the harm, they cannot abandon it. The same is true for the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Bhikkhus, this is called unrestraint. What is restraint? A well-learned noble disciple, when seeing form with the eye, does not give rise to desire for agreeable forms, nor do they give rise to anger at disagreeable forms. They do not let a continuous succession of many thoughts and perceptions arise in turn; they see the harm in form, and once they see the harm, they are able to abandon it. The same is true for the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. This is called restraint." Samyutta Nikāya 1170; also see Samyutta Nikāya 279 and 636. [12] "Maṇḍhātā asked the Buddha: 'How should one practice the restraint at the six sense faculties’ point of contact, over and over, to fulfill the three wholesome actions?' The Buddha told Maṇḍhātā: 'If a bhikkhu sees a form that is agreeable, pleasing, that nourishes sensual pleasure, that makes people cling, they do not delight in it, do not praise it, do not cling to it, do not abide in it. If they see a form that is disagreeable, unpleasing, that leads to suffering, they do not fear it, do not hate it, do not reject it, do not grow angry at it. When an agreeable form arises, after seeing it with the eye, they never cling to it. When a disagreeable form arises, after seeing it with the eye, they never cling to it. Their mind abides steady and unmoving, they practice liberation well, their mind does not grow weary. The same is true for the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind in relation to phenomena. Practicing in this way at the six sense faculties’ point of contact, over and over, fulfills the three wholesome actions.'" Samyutta Nikāya 281. [13] "Purity of body, purity of speech, purity of mind—the three purities, also called the three wholesome actions. Their content is: purity of body—abstaining from killing, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct; purity of speech—abstaining from lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle chatter; purity of mind—non-greed, non-anger, right view." The Origins and Development of Early Mahāyāna Buddhism, p. 291, by Master Yinshun. Quoted from the Aṅguttara Nikāya, "Book of the Tens" (Pali Text Society 22.2, pp. 213–215). [14] "The Buddha told Maṇḍhātā: 'There are three wholesome actions; practicing them over and over will cause the four foundations of mindfulness to be fulfilled.'" Samyutta Nikāya 281. [15] "To subdue craving for form, to cut off craving for form, to transcend craving for form: this is called liberation from form." Samyutta Nikāya 41. "To subdue craving, to cut off craving, to transcend craving: this is called wisdom." Samyutta Nikāya 72.

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