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Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

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not expect any reward from doing good actions. All<br />

these five sharp drivers are false views, but this one is<br />

the falsest among them.<br />

4. Drstiparamarsa—stubborn, perverted views, taking<br />

inferior things as superior or vice versa. It is common<br />

enough to think that an incorrect view is in fact correct.<br />

Having such a perverted view, one may then perform<br />

evil actions, supposing that such actions are really<br />

wholesome.<br />

The writer thought of the Holy Inquisition when<br />

surely many priests sincerely believed that they<br />

were saving souls by burning bodies.<br />

Thus perverted views are strengthened by wrong<br />

actions.<br />

5. Sila-vrata-paramarsa—holding a false view regarding<br />

what is forbidden. This is falsely <strong>and</strong> unreasonably<br />

considering some things as forbidden, such as adhering<br />

only because of custom, convention, superstition, or<br />

blind faith. For instance, a man may keep cows,<br />

regarding them as divine, or chickens, believing that<br />

they are spirits. He does not eat their flesh, having the<br />

view that, as a result, he may be born in heaven.<br />

Another example of viewing a false cause as a real one<br />

is thinking that one may gain liberation by nakedness,<br />

by smearing oneself with ashes, or fasting for a long<br />

time. These are some examples of this sharp driver,<br />

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