The non-doing of anything wicked,
Undertaking of what is good,
The purification of one’s mind —
This is the teaching of the Buddhas
Buddhavagga: The Awakened One (Dhp 183),
translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Ānandajoti
Many people think that Buddhist practice is only sitting meditation, but this is not the case. The Buddha highlighted three main types of practice: dāna, sīla, and bhāvanā. Dāna is giving, or generosity. Sīla is morality, or right conduct in body and speech. Bhāvanā is the development of the mind, which is further divided into two types: samādhi bhāvanā — the development of concentration, and vipassanā bhāvanā — the development of wisdom. Usually, the word bhāvanā is translated as meditation. In short, dāna, sīla, and bhāvanā constitute Buddhist practice.
One can also say that our life should be inseparable from Buddhist practice. It is not that we practice only for 20 minutes in the morning and evening, and then go about our daily life. Our life should become our practice. When we practice correctly, our way of life changes, and over time we will be able to look at ourselves and see the changes.
The Buddha says that we should start with generosity, or giving (dāna). By practicing this, we help both ourselves and others. Generosity is explained very broadly in the Teachings. The Buddha says that, first of all, we received our human birth thanks to giving: our human qualities are preserved through generosity. When a person succumbs to greed — for greed has no limits — it constantly grows. Initially, it is directed towards one’s own things and possessions, towards accumulation and preservation, and then it expands beyond them. First, it is lobha — greed, taṇhā — craving, and then it becomes abhijjhā, covetousness — when we start wanting what belongs to others. Such a person feels they are always lacking something; they can never be satisfied. They cannot see what they have. They only see what they do not have. They are always directed towards the world, always in search of something and this, in reality, will only bring suffering and envy. Greed closes off happiness and joy for us.
If it develops further, it leads to theft and wrong livelihoods. Because of this, thieves and murderers appear in the world, and wars occur. As greed develops, people will become either animals or hungry ghosts. Even though they will be humans during this life, they will live like animals (manussatiracchāna), or like hungry ghosts (manussapeta), or like demons (manussayakkha), constantly experiencing anger. What joy is there in such a life?
To live as humans, we primarily need generosity, giving. We must look at others, feel for them; without this, we cannot develop our human qualities. There are also people in the world who live like deities, devamanussā: they have very few mental impurities, immense kindness and compassion, they practice generosity and morality, they have developed minds — as if they were devas (deities) in the world. We must look and choose for ourselves the path we want to follow, who we want to become. If we are born as humans, then we should become humans or deities, and generosity helps us in this.
Endowed with these two things, a person is born in the heavenly world, as if pulled there by force. Which two? Virtuous behavior and virtuous views. Endowed with these two things, a person is born in the heavenly world, as if pulled there by force.
Dutiya Sīla Sutta: Behavior (II), Iti 2.6, The Twos, editor’s translation
We all understand that our human life is very short; we live here for a very brief time. All our possessions, all our loved ones — we will have to leave everything behind and go. And where we go is still unknown to us. But when we came into this human world, we did not actually come empty-handed; we brought with us our kamma that we previously created in saṃsāra. Any kind of intentional action (whether mental, verbal, or physical) is kamma.
The Buddha says that this kamma is why people are different: some have health, some do not; some live long, some do not; some have all their senses functioning, while others do not , and so on. All of this is because we brought our kamma here and these are their fruits. And when we leave, we will not leave empty-handed. We will take our kamma with us, what we have done.
Bhikkhus, beings are the owners of their kamma, the heirs of their kamma; they have kamma as their origin, kamma as their relative, kamma as their resort; whatever kamma they do, good or bad, they are its heirs.
Saṁsappanīyasutta: Creeping (AN 10.216), translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
It cannot be said that kamma is stored somewhere in this present consciousness or in any part of the body. However, depending on the body and mind, it lies dormant, manifesting itself immediately when the right occasion arises, like a mango growing on a mango tree, not existing somewhere inside the tree, but sprouting once in the season under favorable conditions.
Milinda’s Questions, editor’s translation
We must understand that we have much now. But what remains in the end? In the end, only what we have given to others remains. If you want to practice the Buddha’s Teachings, you must always start with generosity. Through generosity, we receive good fruits both in this life and in future lives.
It is not because of endowment with relatives, wealth, or health that sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.
It is because of endowment with ethics or view that sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.
Byasanasutta: Loss (AN 5.130), translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Sujato
The next practice is morality, sīla. Morality is divided into two types: vārittasīla and cārittasīla.
Vārittasīla is morality consisting of avoiding the unwholesome. Primarily, this involves observing the five precepts (pañca sīla):1.the precept not to kill;2.the precept not to take what is not given voluntarily;3.the precept not to commit sexual misconduct;4.the precept not to lie;5.the precept not to consume alcohol and substances that cloud the mind.
If we observe these precepts, our morality develops and we establish the necessary foundation for our spiritual development. Without this, we will not have sufficient peace of mind. Then we can expand our practice to include more complex aspects: further work with speech, body, and mind (not speaking harshly, not gossiping, working with unwholesome qualities of the mind, and so on).
Mendicants, this teaching provides a bypass, it doesn’t lack a bypass. And how does this teaching provide a bypass, not lacking a bypass? Not killing living creatures bypasses killing living creatures. Not stealing bypasses stealing. Avoiding sexual misconduct bypasses sexual misconduct. Not lying bypasses lying. Avoiding divisive speech bypasses divisive speech. Avoiding harsh speech bypasses harsh speech. Avoiding talking nonsense bypasses talking nonsense. Contentment bypasses covetousness. Good will bypasses ill will. Right view bypasses wrong view. That’s how this teaching provides a bypass, it doesn’t lack a bypass.
Parikkamanasutta: The Bypass (AN 10.175), translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Sujato
Cārittasīla, on the other hand, is what we need to do to develop morality: these are our duties. For example, we need to clean the house and if we have a job, we need to work honestly. We should respect other people, show reverence and help elders and parents, take care of each other, take care of living beings, be sincere and compassionate, share, and show generosity. All of this pertains to a person’s morality. This is explained in detail in the Siṅgālasutta: Advice to Sigālaka (DN 31), one of the most important suttas of the Canon, dedicated to describing the criteria for a proper life for laypeople.
A person’s morality is necessary both for society and for ourselves. It is important to understand that we practice morality not out of fear of the Buddha, but because of the consequences of misconduct. The Buddha is not a judge or overseer seeking to punish for wrongdoings. On the contrary, the Buddha is our greatest friend and mentor. All the precepts and guidelines, all the Teachings and instructions he gave us — he gave out of great compassion for us.
The Buddha’s Teachings are based on the understanding of the laws of the world and kamma, and are intended not to restrict or punish us but to help us eliminate the suffering that arises from our ignorance and attachment so that we do not harm ourselves because of our ignorance (avijjā).
Thus, the practice of morality in the Buddha’s Teaching is not about blind obedience but a conscious choice aimed at personal development and understanding. The Buddha provided us with tools for practice, precepts, and Teachings, and our adherence to them is a path to liberation that we choose ourselves, guided by wisdom and compassion, not by fear of external punishment.
Mendicants, give up the unskillful. It is possible to give up the unskillful. If it wasn’t possible, I wouldn’t say: “Give up the unskillful.” But it is possible, and so I say: “Give up the unskillful.” And if giving up the unskillful led to harm and suffering, I would not say: “Give up the unskillful.” But giving up the unskillful leads to welfare and happiness, so I say: “Give up the unskillful.”
Mendicants, develop the skillful. It is possible to develop the skillful. If it wasn’t possible, I wouldn’t say: “Develop the skillful.” But it is possible, and so I say: “Develop the skillful.” If developing the skillful led to harm and suffering I wouldn’t say: “Develop the skillful.” But developing the skillful leads to welfare and happiness, so I say: “Develop the skillful.”
Adhikaraṇavagga: Book of the Twos (AN 2.19), translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Sujato
If we observe the precepts and develop morality, our mind will become calm, free from turmoil, and regret will disappear. It will be easy for us to practice meditation, bhāvanā, and we will be able to develop our mind. Without morality, we cannot practice bhāvanā.
Mendicants, all the hard work that gets done depends on the earth and is grounded on the earth. In the same way, a mendicant develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path depending on and grounded on ethics.
Balasutta: Hard Work (SN 47.73), translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Sujato
The next Buddhist practice is bhāvanā: samādhi bhāvanā — the development of concentration and tranquility of the mind, and vipassanā bhāvanā — the development of wisdom.
Samādhi bhāvanā is the development of concentration, one-pointedness, and mental composure. The mind contains various unwholesome qualities, and through concentration and tranquility, we suppress them and develop some wholesome qualities over them. Then wholesome states appear in the mind, but since unwholesome qualities are not completely eradicated, they can arise again at any moment. This can be compared to grass hidden under a heavy stone: the stone hides the grass but does not destroy it, and as soon as the stone is removed, the grass reappears. Similarly, samādhi bhāvanā is a very important practice, but by itself, it does not completely remove the impurities of the mind, it does not eradicate them. However, it does bring calmness and composure to the mind, which in turn allows us to practice vipassanā. Samādhi creates the foundation for the practice of insight.
Samādhi bhāvanā is not easy to practice in society because the calmness and composure of the mind obtained as a result are very easily and quickly lost, as soon as we remember some resentment. It is said that for the practice of samādhi, various conditions are necessary: solitude, a suitable climate, and a teacher. A teacher is essential! This is not just a recommendation, but a necessity, as practicing without the guidance of a teacher can be not only ineffective but also dangerous.
Vipassanā bhāvanā are meditations that help us see the world as it is. To see our ignorance. It is the development of our wisdom. Passanā means “seeing,” and the prefix “vi-” gives the meaning that it is a special kind of seeing, based on a certain understanding, seeing things as they truly are. This is what leads us to liberation.
The shortest description of vipassanā given by the Buddha is: diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṁ, sute sutamattaṁ, mute mutamattaṁ, viññāte viññātamattaṁ — in what is seen there must be only what is seen, in what is heard there must be only what is heard, in what is sensed there must be only what is sensed, in what is cognized there must be only what is cognized ( Bāhiyasutta: With Bāhiya, Ud 1.10, translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Ānandajoti). Bahiya, the person to whom the Buddha explained this, attained enlightenment immediately after this instruction, so sharp was his mind, so wise was he. He is specifically mentioned in the Canon as the person who attained enlightenment the fastest. Our minds, wisdom, and virtue are not as well developed, so we need to practice diligently, study extensively, listen to the Dhamma, and contemplate it.
All Buddhist practices are closely interconnected and reinforce each other, forming a coherent system aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of all our practice, namely, attaining liberation, the complete purification of the mind, and the eradication of all unwholesome states of consciousness. Practice wisely, correctly, develop your wholesome qualities, and purify your mind. May the merits from studying this Dhamma help you meet good friends and free yourself from all suffering!
In the same way, reverend, purification of ethics is only for the sake of purification of mind. Purification of mind is only for the sake of purification of view. Purification of view is only for the sake of purification through overcoming doubt. Purification through overcoming doubt is only for the sake of purification of knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path. Purification of knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path is only for the sake of purification of knowledge and vision of the practice. Purification of knowledge and vision of the practice is only for the sake of purification of knowledge and vision. Purification of knowledge and vision is only for the sake of extinguishment by not grasping. The spiritual life is lived under the Buddha for the sake of extinguishment by not grasping.
Rathavinītasutta: Chariots at the Ready (MN 24), translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Sujato
RU 
EN