Chapter 2
What Is Sila?
"Sila" is a Pali word and it has several lovely and deep meanings.
The word "Sila" is derived from the word "Sira" which means the head or the top. A top person is not defined by his material wealth, his power, his knowledge or his ability, but he is defined by the purity derived from his Sīla practice. It is said by the sages that a person who practices Sila is the most sublime person.
The word "Sila" also means normalcy. For example, it is normal for a person to cherish his life and see the value in the life of another person. This feeling makes him glad to be practicing Sila because he has no wish to harm any living being. Therefore, Sila practice is the norm that guides a person to be civilized and righteous, and it preserves the quality of being human.
The word "Sila" is derived from the word "Sitala" which means "coolness". The reason is that a person who practices Sīla experiences coolness physically and mentally like a person who has just taken a bath and is resting under a shady tree. This coolness can be sensed by those around him, making them feel safe and cool as well.
The word "Sila" is derived from the word "Siva" which means free. A person who practices Sila is pure in action because none of his actions brings about harm or trouble. Therefore, he lives a safe and free life.
Sila practice makes one a top person, a whole person, a normal person whose body and mind are marked by coolness and whose life is safe and free.
These are the different meanings of the word "Sila".
The meaning of "Sila" as appeared in the Patisambhidamagga is derived from Venerable Sariputra's comment. He said that Sīla means intention, that is, the intention to abstain from the three forms of physical dishonesty (no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct) and the four forms of verbal dishonesty (no lying, no offensive speech, no divisive speech, and no nonsensical speech).
Sila means mental factors. It means abstaining from the three forms of mental dishonesty (no covetousness, no ill-will, and having Right View).
Sila means being restrained and watchful; it means being removed from unwholesomeness.
Sila means not transgressing the disciplinary rules.
Although the word "Sila" may have different meanings, its most important meaning is "intention". Therefore, it can be said that "Sila is the intention to abstain from all evil, all dishonesty, and all unwholesomeness."
Sila practice is one of the ways of making merit because each time one intends to abstain from evil and from harming others, it means that one has love and kindness in his heart. Such a feeling gives rise to the current of goodness or the current of merit. The current of merit, in turn, cleanses one's mind. Therefore, Sila practice works to improve the quality of one's life and enables one's mind to become increasingly pure.
In addition, Sila has two characteristics. Firstly, it is the virtue that safeguards one's body and speech. Secondly, it is the virtue that leads to higher virtues, namely, Samadhi (one-pointedness of the mind) and Panna (supernormal insight as a result of elevated meditative attainments).
The scent of all the flora, which includes sandalwood, eaglewood, and jasmine, cannot withstand the wind, but the scent of a Sila practitioner can blow against the wind and in all directions.
