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The Sutra on the Practice of the Noble Wheel-Turning Monarch
The Buddha taught that lay friends only need to practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings and the Four Recollections (recollection of body, feelings, mind, and objects of mind) in order not to fall into lower realms, to attain happiness right in the present moment, and to realize the fruit on the stream, like “sitting on a TGV train, certain to arrive in Paris.” In a Dharma talk on the Discourse to the White-Clad Laypeople, given to businesspeople, about 500 entrepreneurs attended, demonstrating that this teaching is very suitable for those engaged in the marketplace.
When guiding politicians and kings, the Buddha expanded the framework of practice as follows:
- Added the Five Powers: faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
- In recollection, included the four practices of recollection (recollection of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Precepts), and added two recollections specific to politics: recollection of giving (generosity in helping the poor) and recollection of the heavenly realms (remembering the heavens and their inhabitants).
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The image of the Wheel-Turning Monarch illustrates the seven treasures of a king who governs with virtue and the Dharma:
- the chariot (wheel)
- the war elephant
- the war horse
- precious jewels
- the queen
- lay friends (ministers)
- the chief army commander (generals)
For an ideal democratic republic like the Vajjians, the Buddha praised seven practices that create an invincible strength: meeting regularly in joy, upholding the law strictly, respecting elders and arahats, truthfulness, honoring sexual ethics, going to places of practice for cultivation, and diligently seeking counsel from elders. Faith in interbeing (“You are, therefore I am”) is considered the most appropriate spiritual foundation for democracy.
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