To all who are interested in studying and seeking the Dhamma,
Today’s Dhamma teaching concerns the Three Ni, beginning with the first: Nisaya (นิสัย), or habits.
Ethics examines the habits (nisaya), deeply rooted character (upanisaya), and dispositions (atthayasai) of human beings.
A habit is an action or behavior that has been repeated so frequently that it becomes familiar and habitual, whether good or bad.
If a person becomes accustomed to doing good, that person develops good habits.
If a person becomes accustomed to doing evil, that person develops bad habits.
There is a saying:
“Thirty repetitions create a habit.”
This means that when we repeatedly perform an action willingly, with preference and satisfaction, that action gradually develops into a habit.
For example, someone who has never smoked cigarettes or cannabis may begin experimenting with them. After continuing for some time, that person may become addicted to cigarettes or cannabis and develop a habitual liking for them.
Likewise, a person who is accustomed to waking up late may begin waking up early for thirty consecutive days. By doing so, that person can develop a new habit of rising early.
Human behavior, whether good or bad, becomes habitual when it is repeatedly accumulated through daily actions.
It is like a rope made by twisting strands together. If another strand is added each day, over time the rope becomes thick and strong, making it difficult to cut.
Therefore, we should cultivate good conduct and refrain from unwholesome conduct.
Just as fire does not burn itself, the sharp edge of a sword does not cut itself, and the tip of a finger cannot touch its own tip, so too a person with bad habits rarely blames themselves.
Whoever cultivates unwholesome habits within themselves and allows those habits to grow is like someone raising a dangerous enemy within their own being.
That enemy will eventually destroy the person’s goodness and cause their decline.
Even if such a person possesses enough intelligence to lead themselves toward prosperity and progress, they may nevertheless remain trapped in a degraded condition because their bad habits continually pull them downward, toward those of similar character.
On the other hand, whoever cultivates good habits and allows them to flourish within themselves is like someone who possesses an excellent spiritual friend (kalyāṇamitta) within their own being.
Such habits will surely guide that person toward happiness, well-being, and progress.
Ethics helps us evaluate human beings by examining their habits, character, and consistent conduct — the actions that individuals willingly choose to perform.
When habits become deeply rooted, they develop into upanisaya, or firmly established character.
This can be compared to a tree whose roots have penetrated deeply into the earth. It becomes firmly established and is difficult to uproot.
Upanisaya refers to a person’s enduring character or deeply established tendencies.
Another term that may be used in this context is sandan (สันดาน), referring to deeply ingrained character formed through repeated conduct over a long period, even across successive births and lifetimes.
For example, the Buddha is praised as having cultivated excellent character and purity of disposition throughout hundreds and thousands of previous lives.
Therefore, performing good deeds came easily to Him, while performing evil deeds was difficult.
By contrast, a person whose deeply rooted character is unwholesome finds it easy to perform evil deeds and difficult to perform good deeds, because that person’s preferences and inclinations tend toward what is unwholesome.
It is sometimes said that if we set a good example for children, they will follow it.
However, this is not always certain.
Children who already possess tendencies toward such behavior may imitate the good example, while those who lack those tendencies may not follow it.
The same principle applies to bad examples.
Those who imitate unwholesome behavior are often people who already possess similar tendencies or inclinations toward that kind of conduct.
It is precisely these deeply rooted dispositions that cause considerable differences among human beings.
They also contribute to differences between people of different nations.
For example, Thai people differ from Japanese people, Japanese people differ from Europeans, and English people differ from Indian people.
The collective tendencies and characteristics of people within a nation contribute to the development of that nation’s distinctive character.
Some may be inclined toward enjoyment, entertainment, and cheerfulness, while others may be more serious, disciplined, and determined.
As for atthayasai (อัธยาศัย), or disposition, this term emphasizes the coarseness or refinement of the mind.
It concerns whether a person is gentle or harsh in temperament, and the degree to which their mind has become delicate, refined, and cultivated.
For example, teak is a high-quality wood, comparable to a person who possesses good underlying character.
However, even high-quality wood, if it has not been carefully prepared through sawing, planing, sanding, polishing, and varnishing, will still appear rough and unfinished.
In that condition, it is not yet suitable for use as a finished floor or wall.
Only after undergoing these refining processes does the fine-quality wood become beautiful and suitable for such purposes.
Human beings are much the same.
A person may possess good underlying character, but if that person has not been refined or trained to develop a beautiful disposition, something is still lacking.
For example, we often hear people say:
“Harsh in speech, but kind at heart.”
This means that the person has a good heart but speaks harshly.
Now imagine how much better that person would be if they also spoke kindly and possessed graceful manners.
Such a person would be like high-quality wood that has been carefully polished and beautifully finished.
They would become a truly refined person, possessing goodness in body, speech, and mind.
Or they would be like a fine piece of cloth, beautiful in texture, color, and form, which leaves a favorable impression upon both those who wear it and those who see it.
Human beings associate with one another according to their elements and dispositions.
Those of auspicious character and those of inauspicious character do not naturally get along.
Wisdom is more excellent than wealth.
Wealth can bring both benefits and harm, whereas right wisdom brings only benefit.
Living beings become divided and turn into enemies when their interests conflict.
But when their interests can be reconciled, they may become friends.
The Blessed One possessed supreme and extraordinary ability in training those who were capable of being trained.
Therefore, He received the title:
“Anuttaro purisadammasārathi.”
“The unsurpassed trainer of those who are fit to be trained.”
Consider the case of Venerable Cūḷapanthaka.
If it had not been for the Blessed One, who else could have enabled him to obtain the most precious treasure — the attainment of arahantship (arahattaphala)?
This was possible because the Buddha clearly understood the deeply rooted character, dispositions, and accumulated spiritual perfections (pāramī) of each individual.
Thus, He was able to resolve the difficulties and obstacles in people’s lives that no one else could resolve.
Deeply rooted character and spiritual perfections are indeed extremely important factors in the success of human life.
When a person possesses the appropriate character and accumulated perfections for a particular path, and then follows that path in life, success can be achieved quickly.
Conversely, if a person lacks the appropriate character and accumulated perfections for a particular undertaking, even when they attempt it, they may not perform well, and success may be extremely difficult to achieve.
An employer who assigns people to work that suits their individual character and natural tendencies will obtain excellent results.
A person who works in a field that corresponds to their abilities, deeply rooted character, and previously accumulated perfections will experience happiness in their work.
Such a person can complete their duties successfully, beautifully, and with refinement.
It was precisely because of the Blessed One’s extraordinary ability to understand the former dispositions and accumulated spiritual perfections of beings from their previous lives that He achieved such remarkable success in proclaiming Buddhism.
His Dhamma teachings were never without results.
This may be compared to a fisherman holding a casting net in his hands.
He looks down into water that is perfectly clear, so clear that he can see even the small pebbles lying on the riverbed.
He can see every fish swimming in the water, whether large or small.
Because he can see the fish so clearly, whenever he casts his net, fish are always caught in it.
In just the same way, the Blessed One, knowing the character, dispositions, and spiritual perfections of beings, was able to teach them successfully.