Compliance

1. DEFINITION

Compliance (nhu thuận: nhu means soft, thuận means going along with) is obedience: doing as we are taught, doing as we are told, and following the wishes of others. It is not complicated, yet it is a fundamental virtue and an important one for the life of practice of a monastic.

However, to obey another person we must give up our own opinions, our own plans and our own views. This is not easy. In this life each person is a private universe, with thoughts, feelings and ideas of their own, and a way of living that never repeats itself in anyone else.

Without even speaking of having to set weighty matters aside to meet someone else's request, take just one simple example from daily life and we will see how hard it is to do as others wish. Say it is time for our personal tasks, and we gather our clothes to go and bathe, when an older Dharma brother calls us back and tells us to go and do some other job for him. We do not yet know how important his request is, but after a whole day of toil, having snatched the break to wash and freshen up, we are stopped and told to do something else at once, and we feel annoyed and irritated. Obedience makes us give up our own intention, which means it touches our ego, and so it is very hard to do. Only when we do not cling to the self, and accept loss and disadvantage, can we obey others easily.

In society, every organisation needs its subordinates to submit to their superiors, because only then is the organisation strong and firm. The army, for example, is where discipline is strictest. People often say, "Discipline is the strength of the army." There, soldiers must give themselves wholeheartedly and learn to obey their superiors unconditionally. Whatever a superior orders, they must follow to the letter, without explanation and without asking the reason. If they do not, they will suffer the army's severe punishments, heavier or lighter according to the degree of the offence. In battle, a soldier who disobeys the commander may be shot on the spot by that commander. In general, the demands of discipline and submission in the army are very harsh. It is thanks to this obedience and submission that the army has order and the strength to fight.

The same is true of other organisations in the world. If subordinates do not obey or submit to their superiors, they must bear a fitting punishment. Sometimes the punishment does real harm to the life of the person punished: a cut in pay, demotion, dismissal, or being publicly slandered and dishonoured… So when we begin work in an agency or organisation, we have to abide by the discipline it has laid down.

In our Buddhism there is no strict discipline applied to a monastic who commits a fault. This is a very large gap in Buddhism. That is why people often say that Buddhism is easygoing and loose in organisation compared with other religions and other organisations. For example, if a monk does something wrong, the Sangha has no measure to deal with it and no real punishment to make the person live better and set an example for others. At most, those responsible can only scold him and make him review his conduct. Buddhism itself has no means or measure to impose sanctions on anyone. Every day people meet lay people pretending to be monks and going on alms rounds. They too wear yellow robes and carry a bowl, but their faces look shifty and have none of the dignified bearing and refined conduct of a practitioner. This is still happening, but the Sangha can only issue a warning that these are "impostor monastics"; it has no means to stop them. If we see them wandering about dazed on the street begging for alms and the police do not arrest them, we do not know what to do either. It is precisely because we lack strict disciplinary measures that our Buddhism is weaker in organisation than other religions. In Christianity, if a member of the clergy does something wrong, there are very severe punishments, and the punishment really does harm the offender himself. That is why in Christianity priests and members of religious orders submit to discipline very well, and so their organisation is quite tight.

The reason we cannot apply any discipline to monastics is that the teaching of Buddhism is too compassionate and too tolerant. The Buddha himself had no measure for dealing with violations of the precepts. In the Buddha's time, because of a discord, two bhikkhus quarrelled fiercely. However the Buddha admonished them, they would not listen. They even said:

• "Venerable Lord! You are old and frail. Please rest, and leave our affairs to us."

Unable to dissuade them, the Buddha left. Afterwards, because the lay community came to protest and threatened to cut off their support, those bhikkhus became afraid, no longer dared to quarrel, and went to invite the Buddha back. Following that tradition, Buddhism to this day has no disciplinary measures for monastics.

So where does the strength of Buddhism lie? It lies not in organisation but in the teaching. That is why, although it is weak in organisation, in any age when true masters appear who grasp the teaching firmly and convincingly and draw everyone in, strengthening their aspiration for the path, turning them towards it, and leading them to do much charitable work and practise earnestly…, Buddhism flourishes in that age. Conversely, in an age when no true master with the teaching appears, Buddhism gradually declines. Thus Buddhism flourishes through its teaching, while organisation is not strong enough to keep it alive and growing. This is where Buddhism differs from other religions and organisations. In other religions, a tight organisation alone is enough for the religion to survive and expand. Having said this, we can see the duty of those who practise Buddhism.

First, all of us have a duty to make Buddhism flourish. This is self-evident. Making Buddhism flourish is the ideal of a monastic; no one goes forth without thinking of it. But whether Buddhism flourishes depends on its teaching, and it is we who make that teaching grow ever stronger, firmer and deeper. We must practise and study in such a way that the Buddhist teaching develops. That is how we give Buddhism the strength to flourish.

Second, we must find a way to fill the gap of discipline in Buddhism. Discipline shows itself in submission. Other religions demand restraint and submission because discipline and punishment stand behind them. Our Buddhism has none of this. So each of us, as monastics, must be self-aware and willingly submit to and obey those above us and those who came before us. We must fill that gap in Buddhism ourselves so that our path grows ever firmer. If, because there are no disciplinary measures, we do not bother to obey or submit, Buddhism will naturally weaken. The reason we ask for willingness and self-awareness from each person is that this is a matter of morality. That is, obedience under discipline is compulsory obedience, followed by monitoring and punishment, whereas obedience in the sense of morality is wholly voluntary and self-aware. If each of us consciously trains in the practice of obedience, the temple will be strong. If every temple confines itself within the regulations of the Sangha, tries to act in accordance with them and lives in harmony with the community of monastics, then naturally the Sangha too will grow stronger, and Buddhism will flourish as a result.

Above, we said that obeying those above us and those who came before us can often make us uncomfortable, because we must give up our own wishes and plans and it touches the ego. But someone who has mastered the practice of compliance, when asked by another to do something, will obey and be ready to set their own work aside and do the other task wholeheartedly. And when they obey, they feel a joy spreading within them. Of course, those who truly have the virtue of compliance, who follow others wholeheartedly and feel joy arise in their hearts, are not many. Those who have trained in compliance, doing whatever they are told (like a robot), must be practitioners at a very good level. When they carry out compliance with mastery, they feel a happiness that others cannot sense. At that point they have eliminated much clinging to self in the mind. We know that the summit of Buddhism is no-self, and that absolute no-self is also absolute Nirvana, great liberation and great peace and joy. Once we attain no-self, we attain peace and joy: endless peace and joy, absolute peace and joy. Let us not think that the peace and joy in no-self is emptiness. It truly is a great joy, absolute and boundless, different from the stirred feeling of worldly joy.

For example, when someone praises us for something, we feel delighted. That joy, that delight, belongs to the world, because it is stirred up and depends on outside conditions. In meditative concentration, by contrast, even a partial no-self makes us feel happy. But that happiness does not depend on praise or any external condition; it exists of itself, yet is as if it did not exist, because it is not stirred.

In life, all our suffering and joy come from the feelings arising from the aggregate of sensation, and those feelings are usually stirred. So a liberated one, a wise person, distinguishes very clearly between these two kinds of happiness. The happiness of the world, of the aggregate of sensation, is usually stirred and uneasy, and in the end becomes suffering. That is why the Buddha said: sensation is suffering. In meditative concentration, which seems quiet and void, the peace and happiness are very strong and very great. The two kinds of happiness people can have (the happiness arising from the aggregate of sensation, and the happiness of meditative concentration from attaining no-self) are completely different. In the same way, when we are compliant we have attained a part of no-self, and so we also have a part of this peace and joy. In theory this is so, but only by practising do we see it. That is, when we live in the community, with our Master and our Dharma brothers, if we know how to obey wholeheartedly and do not follow our own wishes, we will have the real joy of the monastic life.

For those who have gone forth, at the start of the path they must practise compliance thoroughly as the foundation of lasting virtue later on, because compliance helps a practitioner very well to break clinging to self and eliminate conceit. In truth, no-self is reached only through many years, many lifetimes, of meditative practice. Even if we attain concentration, we have not yet attained no-self. Besides meditative concentration there are many other practices that support breaking clinging to self, and compliance is one of them. A newly ordained person who cannot practise compliance and obedience will not be able to practise the others. So compliance both helps us break clinging to self and opens the way for countless other virtues and good things to come to us.

For example, seeing that we are hot-tempered, our Master advises: "Do not be so hot-tempered. Try to practise forbearance and live in harmony with your Dharma brothers." What the Master teaches is entirely right. If we have the habit of obeying and the virtue of compliance, we will try our utmost to put the Master's teaching into practice. It may be hard at first, but each time we flare up and remember the Master's gentle words, we will gradually succeed. Thus, thanks to compliance, a single brief, gentle sentence from the Master is engraved in us for life so that we carry it out. And afterwards, so many other good practices open up. Conversely, if we have the habit of not obeying, when we hear the Master's advice we will ignore it and not take it to heart. So we will never be able to correct our hot temper.

In the life of the path, the bad habits the Master tells us to give up we must try to give up; the good qualities we do not yet have, which the Master tells us to cultivate, we try to build up until we have them. That is obedience. When we obey in this way, we gain countless benefits later. For example, seeing that we are bright, the Master sends us to school and urges us: "You must try hard at your studies and not betray my efforts and hopes." Obeying the Master, from the moment we step into school we dare not neglect our studies. Besides studying, we make use of spare time to sit in meditation. It is thanks to obeying the Master that we manage this. And in the end it is we who benefit, and so many good merits open up in this way.

If we do not know how to obey, and grimace whenever the Master asks us to do something, gradually the Master will stop speaking of it, and our merit will be diminished. We should remember that a monastic holds firm to the practice not through talent or appearance but through merit. Some people, lacking merit and blessings, have to return to lay life and can no longer be monks. Not obeying the Master is also one of the causes that deplete our merit. So the practice of obedience is very important for a practitioner.

Another point to note is that we should not rush to criticise or pass judgement on the teachings or instructions of those above us. In life, many people have the habit of criticising and commenting on the Master's teaching without being fully compliant and obedient. For example, when the Master says: "Now take this tree and plant it somewhere else." Though he says nothing aloud, the disciple is unconvinced inside: "This tree is planted fine where it is, so why move it? I don't know where the Master keeps his sense of beauty." Though he does as the Master wishes, he still criticises and passes judgement, and does not submit unconditionally to the Master's instructions.

Or when the Master teaches some principle, a disobedient person argues back in silence. For instance, the Master advises: "Try your best to recite the Buddha's name, because however much you study and however much merit you make, none of it equals practice." Though he does not say so, the person objects inwardly: "The Master is really behind the times! These days people practise Zen and see their nature and become Buddhas, and he still makes people recite the Buddha's name"…

To be a disciple and yet always harbour a hidden resistance, or to re-judge the teachings and instructions of those above us in this way, is wrong. At this point we have not practised much, our clinging to self has not lessened and our wisdom is not yet bright, so such criticism is not accurate. When we are older, and have gone through many practices and much meditative work, with our clinging to self lighter, we will see matters more correctly and our judgement will be more accurate.

Even people in the world, when they begin to teach their children, must first train them in obedience, and only afterwards teach countless other virtues. This is a lesson drawn from parents' experience of bringing up children. If parents do not teach a child obedience from the beginning, the child's life will later be spoiled. In practice, bringing up children is not simple: some children are very easy to guide, but others are very hard, and parents must teach them strictly and persuade them from the very start.

Many parents show a lack of resolve in teaching their children. When they ask a child to do something and the child does not do it, the parents end up doing it themselves. In this way the child comes to think that it does not matter if they do not obey their parents, and increasingly the parents cannot get them to do anything. Or sometimes parents make excuses and cover for their child. When guests come, the parents call the child out to greet them, and the child finds a way to hide. Then, far from scolding, the parents even speak up for the child: "She is shy, especially when there are strangers." In truth, the parents themselves are condoning their child's disobedience. In this way the child will go on disobeying and become spoiled. Our ancestors said:

Bend the tree while it is young;

Teach the child while they are still innocent.

Because they do not know to "bend the tree while it is young", many families fall into misfortune. Children grow up not obeying their parents and even making their parents obey them. Then, if the parents do not obey the child, disaster strikes. So with small children, parents must teach unconditional obedience from the very beginning. Even if sometimes we must punish heavily so that the child is afraid and obeys, we have to accept that. Once the habit of obedience is formed, parents need no punishment or shouting: a glance is enough for the child to understand what they want and to carry it out willingly. On that basis, parents can teach their children other virtues very easily.

2. PRACTICE

In the human mind the tendency towards compliance is usually not strong (sometimes the tendency towards stubbornness is stronger), so we need to put effort into practice to gradually overcome that stubbornness. First, by way of vow, every day when we bow to the Buddha and sit in meditation, we should always ask the Buddha's blessing so that we may have the virtue of compliance and live wholeheartedly following our Master and our Dharma brothers. Thanks to such prayer, the stubbornness in us gradually lessens. When the Master tells us to do something or teaches something, we naturally find it easier to do. So the power of a vow can help us overcome the tendency towards stubbornness and wanting only to do as we please.

At a higher level, compliance is practised even when the Master is not there. That is, when the Master is absent, we still consider and try not to go against his wishes. Of course, to restrain and bind ourselves when no one else is watching is very hard, and we must practise a great deal to manage it. The abbot himself must bind himself and weigh every word and deed. In everything he does he thinks whether others will be happy with it. When lay followers offer money, the abbot, wanting to buy something, considers and uses his mind to reflect: will the donor be glad if I buy this? In this way, even with no one to watch or remind us, we must try to practise compliance.

Higher still (called third-level compliance) is the secret work of practice within. When we go deep into the inner work of practice we need to be careful, because the workings of the mind in secret are known only to ourselves. For example, when it is time to sit in meditation or recite the Buddha's name, whether we are actually practising is something no one can know, as there is no one to check. This is when we most need to obey the Master and to practise exactly as the Master has guided. In reality, many people who did not follow their master's guidance when entering the secret inner work of practice have fallen into error. There are also cases where a disciple practised differently from the Master and still succeeded, but these are very few. It is best to carry out the Master's teaching, because the Master has gone before and has much experience in inner practice. Following the Master's instruction is still more beneficial for us.

In short, we obey our Master on three levels:

• The first level: when the Master is present.

• The second level: when the Master is absent.

• The third level: when going deep into the inner work of practice.

If we can do all three levels, we have attained the virtue of compliance in a profound way.

Besides obeying the Master, towards our elder Dharma brothers and sisters we must also behave compliantly to show respect. Though they cannot equal the Master, they came to the path before us and have more experience than we do. By being compliant towards them, our clinging to self will be greatly reduced. We will learn the valuable experience of our senior brothers and sisters. Moreover, the compliance of juniors towards seniors, of those who came later towards those who came earlier, will make the bond between brothers and sisters warmer. This is a common human psychology, and we are no different. When someone younger is compliant and obedient, we naturally feel more affection for them. Naturally, when we are compliant and obedient towards our senior brothers and sisters and they feel more affection for us, Buddhism benefits greatly.

On the path, the bond between brothers and sisters is very sacred and noble. If that bond of the path, of friendship and fraternity, is kept up to the very end, it becomes priceless. Just think: one day all those who study together today have become Venerable Elders, and still love one another, still keep in touch and still support one another in spreading the Dharma. How precious that affection would be! It can be said that this affection cannot be exchanged for anything else in this life. Those fortunate enough to keep fraternal bonds over several decades, staying in touch from afar and supporting one another when needed, bring much benefit to the work of the path. Understanding this, while we live together we must love and accommodate one another so as to keep that good fraternity for the whole of our lives.

Towards our younger brothers, in the role of elder brother we must know how to assist the Master in teaching them. When necessary we must be strict with them, but we should observe an almost formulaic rule: "five parts affection to one part reproach." That is, affection must outweigh strictness. Only then will our junior brothers admire us and obey. On the other hand, we must also be compliant towards them, that is, love them and indulge them. There are very small things in daily life, but when we know how to indulge our junior brothers, we have been compliant with them. For example, when two brothers are studying together and the younger one suddenly says he is sleepy: "I'm so tired. Elder brother, let me lie back on your lap for a little, and wake me in five minutes to study my lesson!" At that moment we happily let him rest his head and sleep, and wake him after exactly five minutes to study. In this way we have loved our junior brother and been compliant with him.

3. TOWARDS RIGHT AND WRONG IN LIFE

As we grow up we have to face life with its countless complicated rights and wrongs. But we must understand that everyone is sometimes right and sometimes wrong. A person may do one thing rightly and at another time say something wrong. A person is not necessarily completely wrong, nor necessarily completely right, and we are no different. So we should not trust our own subjective opinion too much and keep contradicting others. What we think and what we understand are not always right. Some things we now consider right, we find after a while, looking back, are no longer right. Or perhaps three years ago we said something that many people thought sensible and admired, and now we ourselves are startled because what we said does not accord with the Dharma. So we must not be obstinate or subjective about the rights and wrongs of others, or of ourselves.

But if we do not rely on our own understanding, what do we rely on to judge the rights and wrongs of life? This is very hard to determine. We can only trust in each person's merit. If we are people of merit, we will naturally know the rightness or wrongness of others and of life, and choose the right path. If we lack merit, we will naturally judge everything inaccurately. Merit is so important that a practitioner must be diligent in bowing to the Buddha in order to gain much of it. Thanks to merit we will be clear-minded and judge accurately what is wrong and what is right in life, so as to avoid some mistakes.

When another person's thought or opinion is right, we must value and cherish it. This is both reasonable and helps us keep a humble mind. When others say what is right and do what is right, respect arises in our mind. When we respect others, we are the first to benefit, gaining the virtue of humility. We already know that whether the practice of humility succeeds depends on whether we admire many people. If in life we only ever see the faults of others and disparage and sneer at them, our conceit will grow and our morality will gradually fall apart. Conversely, if we see good points in everyone and show admiration, our humility will naturally increase and our morality will grow with it.

So when others are good, we are the ones who benefit. Saying this, we see our responsibility towards everyone. Often, looking at humanity and the world, we feel anxious because not many people believe in karmic cause and effect, and not many can check their own faults and overcome greed and hatred. But the more we think, the more we discover one thing: people's faults are not made by the people themselves but by others. This seems a little unreasonable, yet it is the truth.

For example, anger is one of the five factors of defilement. But where does defilement come from? It is conceit that gives rise to defilement. Conceit appears because one does not know how to admire anyone, or because there is no one to admire. So when we see someone fall into fault and only know how to blame and curse them without looking into the cause, we are mistaken. The cause of that fault is conceit, and the lack of anyone for them to admire. This world has far too few saints. If in life they met a saint, faultless, compassionate, wise and truly liberated, they would admire him and not be conceited. As a result they would have the virtue of humility and their morality would not collapse. When we understand this, we will see that the faults that fill the world are caused by all of us. As practitioners we must try to practise and perfect our conduct and wisdom so that others admire us. Of course, our aim is not merely to be admired, but to let others have a humble mind and grow in morality. Judged fairly, a person whose morality collapses does so because they lack the wisdom to see the good in others and respect them, but those around them also bear some fault. So we must try to live and study as well as we can, so that each of us is a saint for others to rely on and grow in wholesome qualities.

In a case where we have considered carefully and find another person's opinion or thought wrong and unacceptable, we must still be very careful not to attack or belittle them in a loud tone, to prove that we are better.

For example, a Master, when teaching the Dharma, always encourages people to try to make merit in order to seek merit for the next life. This is not right. For Buddhism is the path of "gratitude without seeking reward": one makes merit without seeking its karmic reward. To make merit while seeking merit for oneself does not come from love. But when a lay follower comes and asks about this, we must answer very tactfully so that they both understand the matter and no division is caused within Buddhism. We might explain to the lay follower that the Master teaches this as a basic first step so that people learn to trust in cause and effect. That is, people hope to enjoy merit in the next life and so try to do good in this one. Once they have advanced further, the Master will teach us to make merit without seeking merit. A lay follower who hears this explanation will not notice that we do not share that Master's view, and at the same time will understand merit-making more correctly. In such cases, if we attack or belittle in an overbearing tone, we will let lay followers see a gap in Buddhism, namely internal division. Nowadays quite a few outsiders exploit such gaps to set Masters against one another and temple against temple, so that Buddhism is divided and loses unity. So we must be careful never to let any grudge, or any attacking and putting down of others, remain in our mind.

A person who has mastered compliance, when analysing the errors of others, keeps a compassionate and gentle manner, without aggression or the desire to win. Lao Tzu said: "The gentleman is harmonious but not the same; the petty person is the same but not harmonious." The gentleman, though he does not share the same view and holds firmly to his position and ideals, still lives in harmony with everyone. These are good people. Conversely, the petty person shares the same view yet treats others without harmony. They are bad people.

For example, with a Christian priest, although we do not share his views, we still keep a gentle manner and remain compassionate, tolerant and generous. That is the attitude of the gentleman in Lao Tzu's sense. We should not let disagreement lead to discord.

Today, bloody wars of religion and ethnicity keep breaking out in the world because of disagreements of view that lead to discord. In Northern Ireland, Protestants and Catholics killed one another savagely because of such disagreement. In Buddhism there is still the situation where temple and temple, Master and Master, share the same views yet often do not treat each other harmoniously, liking to criticise, bear grudges and compete. According to Lao Tzu, that is "the same but not harmonious". Thus, without meaning to, we become the petty persons Lao Tzu criticised. To remedy this, we must try to build Buddhism into a community of people who are both the same and harmonious: people who are all heading towards the path of liberation, all worship the Buddha, and treat one another with great courtesy and harmony. This is the goal all of us must aim at.

Later, after years of mature practice, we may at times realise that our Master or our senior brother still has points that are not entirely right. This is a reality, a truth we must face, and it is also necessary for Buddhism. For Buddhism can develop only because those who come later learn from those before and surpass them. However, when we recognise these imperfections in our Master or senior brother, we must behave correctly. We must not contradict the Master; we should let go of points that are not worth holding on to, so as to preserve the bond of master and disciple and of brotherhood, because these are immensely sacred bonds.

When we are young, we obey the Master and our senior brothers and sisters in order to learn. When we are grown, wherever we stand, we go on being compliant and obedient so that our teachers and friends are happy. For at this point compliance is no longer for learning but an expression of filial devotion. Never think we have surpassed the Master and show arrogance and pride. That is the sin of disrespect and lack of filial devotion towards the Master, who took us in, taught us, and gave us the faith and light to walk in this life. We must always remember: even if we are famous, even at the height of glory, for all time we remain the small pupil before the Master. So we must try to obey the Master. That is filial devotion in Buddhism.

4. TOWARDS THE DHARMA

As the age advances, human thought becomes ever more advanced and profound. Buddhism too must develop and advance beyond the age to deserve to be the light guiding humanity. In the Buddha's time he spoke very simply and concisely, and the saints could understand, but people of later ages could not. That is why, in the six hundred years after the Buddha entered Nirvana, many treatise masters wrote famous treatises to supplement Buddhist theory. This was a very necessary task for Buddhism to develop. The later the age, the more the teachings of Buddhism were analysed and supplemented by the treatise masters. In the Southern tradition there was not much supplementation of the teaching, but in the Northern tradition it is very evident. Whatever they discovered, they added immediately to the teaching of Buddhism.

Today, the development of Buddhism is demanded even more urgently than before. Together with science, human thought has advanced by leaps and bounds. If we still believe Buddhism is absolute truth, the light ahead that illuminates the world to follow, we have a duty to make Buddhism develop ahead of the age. To do so, we must continue to develop Buddhist theory. Through knowledge, scriptures and our experience of practice, we must always seek new and correct things to help make Buddhism richer. This is truly necessary and is the duty of all monastics in this age. Living in an age when science develops very fast and human thought advances by leaps and bounds, if Buddhism cannot keep up, it will no longer be a support and guide for the world and for life. Then people will not need us and Buddhism will find it hard to survive.

Thinking of this, we must make Buddhism develop strongly, so that when people look at it they still see that it is full of benefit to their lives. We must work so that even if people fly into space, reach Mars or Venus, or dive to the bottom of the ocean, and even if their lives are full of conveniences, handling everything by computer, with video players, televisions, refrigerators and so on, they still find Buddhism truly necessary for their lives. Buddhism will guide them and bring them benefit. Then people will come to Buddhism, and come to us.

However, in developing Buddhism and adding many new things to it, we must always rely on the existing teachings and respect the old scriptures. That too is compliance towards the ancients. Never, because we have found new things, make a revolution that changes everything and causes too great an upheaval in Buddhism. That is the extreme, excessive and combative act of the young. We must show ourselves mature, grown-up and more seasoned than what we have just found. Even when we discover very new things, we should always be gentle and respectful towards the old. By doing so, those used to the old ways will still gladly accept our new teachings. Thus Buddhism develops without opposition or conflict between new and old. This attitude of ours is called compliance: gentle and respectful towards the ancients.