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Religion, Practice and Science of Non-Violence
triumph over the senses.
“But to satisfy the necessities of life is not evil. To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to acquire wisdom and keep our mind strong and clear."
The right path to be followed, according to the Buddha, was the ‘eight-fold way': right speech, right action, right means of livelihood, right exertion, right mindedness, right meditation, right resolution and right point of view.
During the forty-five years of his public life, from the time of his proclaiming this new religion, the Buddha preached these noble truths amongst the masses. His new order did not recognise distinctions of caste or creed. Kings and beggars, rich and poor, sages and sinners, brahmins and pariahs, all joined the order.
Compassion towards all human beings is one of the most important teachings in Buddhism, as evidenced by some of these scriptural readings:
Him I call a first-class person
who is tolerant with the intolerant, Mild with the violent,
And free from greed among the greedy.' The man who is not hostile amongst the hostile,
who is peaceful amongst the violent, Not seizing upon anything amongst those who seize
upon everything, I call a first-class person.? If villainous bandits were to carve you limb from limb,
Even then be it your task to preserve your hearts Unmoved, never to allow an ill word to pass your lips,
But always to abide in compassion and goodwill With no hate in your hearts,
enfolding the bandit in radiant thoughts of love, and proceeding thence to enfold the whole world
in your radiant thoughts of love, Thoughts great, vast and beyond measure,
in which no hatred is, or thought of harm.
1 Dhamma-pada, 406. 2 Sutta Nipata, 630. 3 Majjhima Nikaya, 1.129.
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