Wholesome development of personality

[rowyourboat]

I felt the below list was really helpful in developing the appropriate wholesome personality traits which promotes the practice.

There are ten (10) kinds of Kusala Kamma or meritorious actions:

1. Daana (Generosity), that yields wealth

2. Siila (Morality), which enables rebirth in noble families and in states of happiness

3. Bhaavanaa (Meditation), which gives birth in Brahma Lookas (Realms of Form and Formless Realms) with higher states of wisdom

4. Apachaayana (Reverence), the cause of noble parentage

5. Veyyaavachcha (Service), which tends to produce a large retinue

6. Pattidaana (Transference of Merit), serves to promote Daana in abundance, in future births

7. Pattaanumoodanaa (Rejoicing in others’ merit), that will produce merit at any state of rebirth in future

8. Dhamma savana (Hearing the Doctrine), which promotes wisdom

9. Dhamma deesanaa (Preaching the Doctrine), which, also, promotes wisdom

10. Ditthijju kamma (Straightening of one’s own views), which strengthens one’s own confidence.

If you know of any other suttas which speak of wholesome qualities to develop please add them to this list.

Thank you,

With metta

Matheesha

[Hanzze]

Thanks for sharing that list. Here are some explainations to all of this kind of actions: Ten Domains Of Meritorious Actions

Its just the title of the topic, I do not really understand "Wholesome development of personality". Actually all this deeds are about reducing the personality, of cause wholesome.

[rowyourboat]

Hi Hanzze

A certain type of person will do well in the dhamma- if you would think what kind of person would endeavour to carry out these practices as much as possible you would understand why I said that they lead to a development of a wholesome personality.

With metta

Matheesha

[Cittasanto]

Hi Rowyourboat.
Where did you get the list from?

What about the noble eightfold path itself, or the ten-wholesome-actions?

we do need to develop the wholesome aspects of the personality before we can get rid of the person

[DAWN]

One Ego is build on memories.
When there is memories of wholesome actions / behave, there is wholesome personality, and vice versa.

But why wholesome personality have more chances to get some insight? Because when one have wholesome behavour, one also have more developped attention, his awereness and concentration is more developped, cause he is awere and concentrate of what he do, he have to pay attention on each moment to be able to stop any unwholesome habit.
Also, wholesome behavour is motivate by good, lovely, metta intention. By 'loving' something, we understant it, we know it, we penetrate it, like a gravitation that penetrate dhammas. And by penetraing dhammas we see their nature, that help us to undertand our own nature.

Thats why wholsome personality have more chances to get some insight, by attention, concentration and metta.

Or
Siila Samadhi Panna

[rowyourboat]

Hi Rowyourboat.
Where did you get the list from?

What about the noble eightfold path itself, or the ten-wholesome-actions?

we do need to develop the wholesome aspects of the personality before we can get rid of the person

Hi Cittasanto,

I think something like this list (with gratitude, contentment, easy to instruct thrown in perhaps) before people even attempt the eightfold path. But of course real life is far messier. But I do believe humbleness, letting-go, simplicity, faith etc are good values to cultivate otherwise many would end up with spiritual materialism, competitiveness or over-ambition.

I think this list is commentarial but I like it.
http://www.cambodianview.com/buddha2.html

With metta

Matheesha

[Cittasanto]

Hi Rowyourboat.
Where did you get the list from?

What about the noble eightfold path itself, or the ten-wholesome-actions?

we do need to develop the wholesome aspects of the personality before we can get rid of the person

Hi Cittasanto,

I think something like this list (with gratitude, contentment, easy to instruct thrown in perhaps) before people even attempt the eightfold path. But of course real life is far messier. But I do believe humbleness, letting-go, simplicity, faith etc are good values to cultivate otherwise many would end up with spiritual materialism, competitiveness or over-ambition.

I think this list is commentarial but I like it.
http://www.cambodianview.com/buddha2.html

With metta

Matheesha

Hi Matheesha
just below the list are the ten unwholesome actions which are the opposite of the wholesome actions the Buddha taught. I do not recognise this list off hand so do not know where they got it from, maybe found in AN10 somewhere but do not know. although the individual components are certainly good to cultivate.
however if this is a precursor to the eightfold path you are looking for try the gradual path or instruction for ideas, such as the Brahmavihara instead of the devas... but the eightfold path is - in a manner - found in the list.

[Hanzze]

Of course this list is not so published, as most prever to teach Dana as the main meritious deed or parami practice. But one might see that most of this points do fit very well with the 10 paramis.

Neverthenless, that is a very importand list, as if understood, one would see that he could addopt always one or more of such actions all 18 hours a day and reach with it even right livelihood and the possibility to really develope the eightfpold path.

They are very useful in adjusting right livelihood, rather that to overjump it with some extra compensation meditation hours continuely.

[rowyourboat]

The 10 requires a development of mundane right view (-karma, rebirth) , so might be challenging, but nevertheless helpful.

Here is another list I find useful -from the karaniyamatta sutta:

The discourse gets divided into two parts. The first detailing the standard of moral conduct required by one who wishes to attain Purity and Peace, and the second the method of practice of metta.

1. "He who is skilled in (working out his own) well being, and who wishes to attain that state of Calm (Nibbana) should act thus: he should be dexterous, upright, exceedingly upright, obedient, gentle, and humble.

2. "Contented, easily supportable, with but few responsibilities, of simple livelihood, controlled in the senses, prudent, courteous, and not hanker after association with families.

3. "Let him not perform the slightest wrong for which wise men may rebuke him. (Let him think:) 'May all beings be happy and safe. May they have happy minds.'

With metta