Most of us are only human. We face many different situations in our daily lives, and our mental states change constantly from wholesome to unwholesome and back again. At times, various flaws arise, leading to unbeneficial and harmful situations. Sometimes, we realize our problems only after the damage has been done. Other times, we don’t realize them at all, even after we have suffered greatly or made others suffer.
In the Anaṅgaṇa Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya (MN 5), Venerable Sāriputta explains that our flaws (anaṅgaṇa) are unskillful wishes (pāpakānaṃ kho etaṃ, āvuso, akusalānaṃ icchāvacarānaṃ adhivacanaṃ) rooted in unwholesome states of mind like pride, excessive desire for gain and fame, and anger and displeasure. In short, flaws are powerful negative energies that come not from the outside world, but from our own inner mind. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha teaches that the harm caused by our flaws can be far greater than that caused by one thief to another, or by one enemy to another. (Dhammapada 42)
Yet these flaws are a normal part of our daily lives. How can we manage these dangerous flaws? Should we worry about them or despise them about ourselves? On the surface, simply withdrawing from society might seem like solutions. However, this is not the case. The actual solution, as Venerable Sāriputta teaches in MN 5, is simply to know their presence when they arise. Sāriputta was one of the chief disciples of the Buddha and the most accomplished in the Buddha’s doctrine. He further advises to practice awareness of our flaws in daily life, which is already a greater achievement than being flawless, yet unaware of one’s flawless state. When a person is flawless but unaware of one’s purity, new flaws can easily arise when challenging situations occur. But when we know our existing flaws, we will naturally practice overcoming them.
Of course, the ideal state is to be flawless and to be fully aware of it. This sustained awareness creates a “safe mode” by vigilantly guarding the mind against the arising of new flaws. The most dangerous scenario is having flaws yet being completely unaware of them. The harms that these unrecognized flaws can cause is limitless. That is why people who are unmindful of or unable to face their own personality flaws can be so destructive. The above passage from the Dhammapada is pertinent here.
We might have encountered ample instances of the principle discussed above all around us, and perhaps even within ourselves, if we carefully observe. Let me share a real-life example. Some time ago a person I knew worked at a renowned company. He was humble and helpful, and everybody liked and adored for his humility and willingness to assist. As he also was hardworking, he even became the director of the company, a position he truly deserved. However, as his name and fame increased, an unacknowledged pride was quietly taking root within him. This shift in temperament brought a desire to show off his power. He made unnecessary changes in the company. He even went so far as to sack some employees who held smaller but important positions in the company. Slowly the company began to incur losses. Yet the necessary and corrective attention and actions were not taken because his focus shifted from team achievement to ego-driven personal achievement. Consequently, the company suffered sever losses, and he was forced to resign not only from the position as director, but also from the company itself.
Here, we see what happens when we are unaware of our flaws and our virtue. He was not inherently flawed, but due to unawareness of his pure mind, flaws were allowed to emerge: excessive desire for gain and fame. This made him blind and failed to recognize his developing flaws and, driven by ego, set in motion a chain of undesirable events. This led to losing jobs of others, company’s downfall and loss of his own directorship and career. Had he been aware of his developing flaws, the entire chain of events could have prevented at least to some extant if not fully.
Let us understand why it is better to have flaws with awareness than being flawless without awareness, using the similes as demonstrated by Sāriputta:
A person who has flaws, yet he is unaware of them is inferior: they are like an unclean bronze bowl, left dusty and stained. Its owner neither uses nor he cleans it, and over time, it only becomes dirtier and more stained.
A person who has flaws, yet he is aware of them is superior: they are like an unclean bronze bowl, left dusty and stained. Its owner notices, cleans and uses it. Overtime, the bowl gets cleaner and bright.
A person who is without flaws yet is unaware of them is inferior: they are like a clean and bright bronze bowl whose owner not recognizing its cleanliness and beauty, leaves it in a dusty corner. Overtime, the bowl becomes dirty and stained.
A person who is without flaws and he is aware of them is superior: they are like a clean and bright bronze bowl whose owner recognizing its cleanliness and beauty, continues to clean and use it. Overtime, the bowl remains clean and bright.
(MN 5)
As these powerful similes illustrate, what is important is knowing one’s mind, regardless of whether it is flawed or flawless. To practice Venerable Sāriputta’s advice is to cultivate mindfulness of one’s internal currents and to remain vigilant. Awareness plays a role of guardian, preventing one from being affect by flaws and from allowing to new ones to arise. When a person is negligent and makes no effort to observe their mind, a flawed person accumulates more flaws, while someone without flaws remains vulnerable to being overcome by them, which leads to harmful consequences anyway.
We can see that this sutta, the Buddha’s chief orator teaches the power of being mindfulness of one’s mind. Simply put, Venerable Sāriputta offers simple, practical and promising advice: “Do not worry, having defilements is okay. But remember to recognize them whenever they arise. It is not okay to allow them to remain unknown.”
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