1. Practices in common with the teaching of the small scope person:

Question 1

What is the base for the small scope person?

Answer 1

Taking refuge and knowing the reason for it!

Question 2

What is the foundation of all good qualities?

Answer 2

It is a precious human existence characterised by eight freedoms (8 leisures) and ten advantages or fortunes (endowments).

Question 3

What are the practices in common with the teaching of the small scope person?

Answer 3

1. 8 leisures
2. 10 endowments
3. refuge
4. the 4 points to reflect upon
   reflect on the precious human birth
   human birth is difficult to obtain
   impermanence of time of death
   Reflecting on the miseries of samsara and all the lower realms.
5. the practice of morality refraining from the 10 non virtues actions

Question 4

What are the 8 leisures?

Answer 4

Being free from these eight adverse conditions :

1. non-human states as hell-beings, animals, hungry ghosts and celestial beings (god realms) with extremely long lives,
2. the suffering of those in the bad states of rebirth is so intense that they cannot think about spiritual practice,
3. celestial beings with long lives are absorbed in sensual pleasures or the pleasure of concentration and cannot develop an aversion to cyclic existence,
4. their bodies and minds are not suitable as a basis for vows of any kind
5. holding wrong views such as that there are no past and future lives and that there is no connection between actions and their effects,
6. being born a barbarian in a remote place where there is no access to Buddhist teachings,
7. being born at a time when a Buddha’s teachings do not exist in the world, and
8. having defective faculties (handicapped) which serve as a serious impediment.

Question 5

What are the 10 Fortune (endowment)?

Answer 5

It means enjoying conducive conditions, first five of the ten fortunes are personal and the next five are circumstantial ==>

1. being born as a human,
2. being born in a place “where the teachings exist and there are ordained men and women,
3. possessing healthy faculties,
4. not having created any seriously negative actions like the five extremely grave (5 hinious crimes, killing father mother arahat, intention to kill buddha,etc.)and the five almost as grave actions
5. having faith in spiritual teachers, the three kinds of training and the texts which contain instructions on them,
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6. that a Buddha has come to the world,
7. that she/he has lit the lamp of the teachings,
8. that these teachings are alive in so far as there are people who hear, think about and meditate on them,
9. that there are those who can be looked upon as role-models because of their exemplary practice of the teachings, and
10. that support and encouragement for practitioners is available.

Question 6

What is refuge?

Answer 6

buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi
The most reliable guide: Buddha
dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi
the medicine, the Dharma
saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi
to go with good companions, the sangha

The refuge is the ground for all!

Question 7

What are the 4 points to reflect upon?

Answer 7

1. We need to reflect on the precious human birth. It is so precious in ways to practice Dharma, so I can attain infinite happiness, meaning the 2 ultimate goodnesses. The human birth allows us to practice the Dharma
2. The human birth is difficult to obtain, so we must use this live and practice. So I must practice the Dharma in this life,
3. Reflecting on the impermanence of time of death, I have to practice just now, because I don’t know when I will die.
4. Reflecting on the miseries of samsara and all the lower realms.
   Reflect on the suffering of suffering, from that the desire to get rid of the suffering and the wish to be born in the higher realm will come about.

Question 8

What are the 4 seals?

Answer 8

All composite things are impermanent
All contaminated things are of suffering nature
Everything is the nature of emptiness and selflessness
Nirvana is absolute peace

Question 9

How are the 4 seals related to the 3 scope teachings?

Answer 9

The 1st one and the first half of the second point goes with the small scope teaching
Half of the second one and the 3rd and the 4th goes with the middle scope teaching!

((All composite things are impermanent
All contaminated things are of suffering nature
Everything is the nature of emptiness and selflessness
Nirvana is absolute peace))

Question 10

What is the practice of morality refraining from the 10 non virtues actions?

Answer 10

Refraining from:
3 phyiscal non virtues:
- killing, (human beings, assisting killing , contributing to it, vegetarianism)
- stealing, (related to public properties, using the property of somebody else),
- sexual misconduct

4 verbal non virtues
- telling lies, (even at the cost of a joke)
- slandering, (splitting friend, communities)
- harsh words !!
- idle gossip (mentally engrossing in meaningless things)

3 mental
- covetousness (extreme version of attachment, the desire to posses other’s belonging)
- ill will (desire to cause harm
- wrong view (disregarding the law of karma)

The practice we have to engage in is the 10 virtues!