Recently in Thailand, I said something regarding certain fundamental principles of human life. As these are the guiding principles of life, there is no harm in repeating the same points again.

You know, in each sphere of our life we should follow a code of discipline. Knowing or adhering to the code of discipline means 60% success. To become one with the Supreme Entity, with the Parama Puruśa is an innate human urge. Knowingly or unknowingly everybody loves the Parama Puruśa. The movement of a spiritual aspirant towards this goal is his spiritual progress, and it is achieved through spiritual cult. For proper movement, an aspirant should follow certain rules, should know certain important factors. Regarding these indispensable items for spiritual progress, Lord Buddha said that there are eight codes. You should remember these points.

First is Samyak Darshana. What is Darshana? In ordinary Sanskrit, Darshana means to see, and in philosophical language, or in spiritual and psychic strata, Darshana means seeing anything with the proper spirit of a scholar, with the spirit of an aspirant. Darshana means guiding philosophy.

A man is walking, but if he has no fixed destination, all his endeavours, all his exercise will be meaningless. A man may do so many things, but all his gain will be meaningless if he does not know what his goal is, where he is going. So each and every man must have a philosophy of life, without which there cannot be any progress. You should remember, it is the first point, the first important factor.

The second important factor is Samyak Saḿkalpa. Samyak means proper. Saḿkalpa means determination. Here, Samyak Saḿkalpa means proper and firm determination. “I will do it, I must do it”. This firm determination is the secret of success in each and every human life. Where there is no firm determination, one will never be successful in any arena of human life. “I must do it! I must come in contact with the Supreme Entity! I must be one with the Parama Puruśa.” This is firm determination. So Lord Buddha said that this is the second important factor, the second important principle that an aspirant must adhere to.

The third item is Samyak Vák. In Sanskrit, the ordinary meaning of Vák is expression of vocal cord, but in philosophical language, Vák means all the expressions of efferent nerves. Whatever we see, whatever we touch, whatever we speak, all these expressions are found within the scope of Vák. Therefore, a man while expressing himself in any stratum of life, must have proper control over himself, he must have proper control over his sensory and motor nerves. This is Samyak Vák.

You know, Lord Buddha said so many things, but all were not noted properly. However, the collection of what he himself said in poetic form, is known as Darshan Pada. In the Darshan Pada, Lord Buddha said, “Cakśuńá Saḿvaro Sádhu” O spiritual aspirant! O Bhikśu! O monk! O devotee! You should have proper control over your eyes; whatever will have bad effect on your mind, you must not see it. “Sádhu Sotena saḿvaro”. Whatever will have bad effect on your mind, O good man, you must not hear it. “Ghánena Saḿvaro Sádhu.” You should have control over your nose, “Sádhu Jibháya Saḿvaro.” You should have control over your taste. “Káyena Saḿvaro Sádhu.” You should have control over your body. “Sádhu Vácáya Saḿvaro.” You should have control over your language also; and “Savvatha Saḿvaro Bhikśu.” If you want emancipation, if you want liberation from worldly fetters, you must have all-round restraint. This third item is Samyak Vák.

The fourth instruction is Samyak Ájiiva. One can earn money by many unfair means – by stealing, by selling wine, by money-lending business. There are so many bad things one can do. A good man should have a clean occupation; he must not be engaged in unclean means of livelihood. Not only his physical occupations, but also his mental occupation should be neat, clean and pure. His objects of thought should be in good taste, and he should not try to do anything bad to another good man. This is called Samyak Ájiiva, and this is the fourth item.

Then the fifth is Samyak Vyáyáma. You know, many boys do so many physical exercises to make the body strong. This is physical exercise. A human entity, however, is not only physical. It is physical, mental and spiritual. Physical exercise is good, but you should do mental exercise and spiritual exercise. In that case, not only the physical body, but also the psychic body and the spiritual body will be very strong. A good man, an ordinary man, a farmer, a labourer, a soldier, a teacher, everybody has got these three bodies. Practising some physical exercises is good, similarly you should also practise psychic and spiritual exercises. You should know the style of exercise from an Ácárya, and you should practise it regularly. As you eat regularly, as you bathe regularly, similarly you should practise these exercises, the psychic and spiritual exercises regularly. This is the fifth item, Samyak Vyáyáma.

The sixth one is Samyak Karmánta. When you start a work, you should finish the work properly, and in a very nice way. Don’t leave the work in a half-finished condition. The finish should always be good. The finishing touch should always be a nice and sweet one.

There are three kinds of men – Uttama, uttama means best; Madhyama – Madhyama means ordinary, and Adhama – Adhama means, of lower grade. Now those who come within the lower status are afraid of undertaking anything, afraid of doing anything. “Oh! these whole-time workers, these Dádás and Didis, their life is very troublesome, they have to undergo so many troubles, so many afflictions. Oh, it won’t be possible for me to accept the life of a monk. It is very difficult.” Similarly, in other spheres of work, these lower-grade people are afraid of undertaking any challenge. Then, there ane ordinary-grade people, Madhyama. They start a work; suppose, a gentleman of the town doesn’t know how to till the land. Out of fascination he starts tilling, and then he finds that it is very troublesome, so he gives up the duty, gives up the work in a half-done condition. This is what is done by ordinary people. It is also not good. But the best people – Uttama, who are they? It is their principle to feel that “When I have started a work, I must complete it in a nice way, in a fine way, in an excellent way.” The Lord Buddha said, Samyak Karmánta, i.e., when you have started a work, you must finish it in a nice way.

The seventh advice is Samyak Smrti. In Sanskrit, smrti means memory. What is memory? Whenever you see, or you hear, or you smell something with the help of your efferent or afferent organs, what happens? Your mind gets compartmentalized. One portion of the mind takes the subjective form, and another portion takes the objective form. You are seeing a tiger. One portion of your mind becomes the seer and another portion of your mind takes the form of the tiger; then you think that you are seeing a tiger. Now after some time, when you can create the tiger once a day in your mind, without seeing a tiger, you are creating the tiger in the objective portion of your mind. This re-creation of tiger in your mind is called Smrti or memory.

Then what is Samyak Smrti? You boys and girls, you know that one should go on repeating one’s Iśt́a Mantra. Always you are doing your work, but you are not repeating your Iśt́a Mantra in your mind. Why? Because you have forgotten the fact that you should repeat it in your mind. Your memory is not strong. That’s why you have forgotten it. Here Lord Buddha said, Samyak Smrti, that is, you must not forget, you must never forget that it is your foremost duty to take the name of the Lord, to repeat your Iśt́a Mantra. It is Samyak Smrti, proper memory.

The last item is Samyak Samádhi, i.e., proper suspension of mind. When you are hearing an excellent expression of music, your mental object is that music, and while hearing, your subjective mind gets suspended in that objective portion. It is suspension of mind in hearing. Similarly when you see a rose, while seeing the rose, you are very much charmed by the beauty of the rose; so your subjective mind gets merged with your objective mind, that is, with the rose. It is suspension in the rose. Similarly, while meditating on the Supreme Entity, the Parama Puruśa, your mind gets suspended in Him. It is proper Samádhi; it is proper suspension of mind.

These are the eight-fold codes of discipline, an indispensable part of an aspirant’s life. You should always remember that for proper success, to attain the Supreme Bliss, adherence to these eight-fold codes of discipline is a must. You should always keep this in mind.