SILA & DANA
Introspection- extroversion
Exploring the middle way toward the higher evolution
In this essay I will try to put in few and simple words, what can be a resume of the Buddhist practice with a extremely deep effect in us and our life, using just this to words, sila and dana, as the two rails of the path toward the higher evolution.
Before to start to walk for this middle path, I would like to assume that you are interesting to do it, to be an effective spiritual practitioner there is some requirements, one: that you believe on the existence of a spiritual goal to attain (the enlightenment), two: someone (the Buddha in this case)already has claimed it; three: there is a way to reach it (the dharma), and four: that you want reach, therefore, you will do as much as you can to reach it. May be this sounds very demanding, but , to be honest, without this requirements, the “spiritual practice” or “Buddhist practice” will not have its transformative aim as it naturally has, and it will be taken as another hobby, or as a new and fancy product that we have consumed to decorate or life style. Even would be a waste of time.
Having said this, I would like to display the spiritual path based on this two perfection , sila (ethic) and dana (generosity), exploring them like “introspection” (talking about sila) and extroversion (with dana), two attitudes whose have to take place in our practice. And first to explore them individually, I’d like to emphasize that sila and dana are Paramitas, which means perfection, or in other words, these are constantly improved. As Buddhist we aspire to be enlightened beings, and the enlightened beings are naturally ethical and generous, therefore, these paramitas are the start and the end of the path.
Sila- Instrospection
The reason for which I use the word “instrospection” is becouse to be ethical, you need to have self-observation. Be ethical means make skilful actions (kusala), which means actions expressed from a mind free of ignorance and confusion, free of craving and grasping, free of hatred and aversion, the skilful actions comes from clarity, contentment, freedom, love, wisdom, generosity, etc in other words, comes from an enlightened mind. But those who are not enlightened ones need a guide, and instructive, instructive (the precepts) which to be followed with precision and effectiveness needs introspection, needs self-observation self-absorption, self-examination, self-observation, self-questioning, on our own actions with body, speech and mind to identify, prevent and eradicate the unskilful ones, and to identify, cultivate and maintain the skilful ones. Telling this is almost obvious that we need high levels of self-knowledge, self-awareness, starting with our minds. And to reach this as a Buddhist we have the practice of mindfulness of breathing, with which placing our breathing as object of contemplation, we can identify our mental habits, and from there, identify, prevent, and eradicate unskilful mental states, and cultivate and maintain skilful ones.
DANA- Extroversion
Introspection, as the work evokes, is to put the energy and concentration inside, the act of looking within oneself. The word extroversion is the opposite, means the act of directing one’s energy outward or to things outside the self, the state of being concerned primarily with things outside the self, with the external environment rather than with one’s own thoughts, feelings, even necessities. And Dana means, be aware of others, and for reach here we have the practice of metta bahavna. “Metta comes first, is there is love, dana will naturally follow” (bhante). This practice dissolved the subject-object dichotomy, and in this way, be generous not just with material objects, dharma, confidence, fearlessness, and so on. We are generous from the inner richness, inner enjoyment, inner wisdom. Ever talking about self-sacrifice for the well of all beings, we include our self as part of “all being” because we are no making any difference between ourselves and others.
If we imagine our spiritual life as a train, coming on the rain of dana in one side and on the sila rail in the other, is clear that we cannot overload one rail, or our train would flip over, or just would not move along any more.
Take this road until its last stop, will lead us to be a new humans, individuals with the capacity to interact compromisingly with their environment, without lose their individuality; beings who more than just be beings, would be humans with true humanity, beings with their most basic functions completely developed, acting naturally in a ethical and generous way, goal which would mark the non return point, and the higher evolution of man, the enlightenment would be a unavoidable destiny.
