Self-Discipline and Caution When Alone: Avoiding Indulgence

When I was young, I once visited an old monk whose room was adorned with a schedule and a list of tasks on the wall, accompanied by the words: “Regulate yourself and be cautious when alone.” I couldn’t help but chuckle and remarked, “Venerable monk, you take self-management quite seriously, almost ceremonially.”

The old monk solemnly replied, “Managing oneself is like managing a great army; discipline must be strict, with immediate punishment for any transgression.”

At that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Is such strictness really necessary for one’s own self?”

After decades of practice, I’ve come to realize that for an ordinary person like myself, self-discipline akin to “military discipline” when alone is indeed necessary. It’s not just about restraining behavior and speech, but more importantly, safeguarding one’s thoughts.

Master Hongyi once expounded on the phrase “be cautious when alone,” stating, “When we engage in any action or have a thought, whether it’s a Bodhisattva, a Buddha, or even various spirits, they all know and see everything. If we bear this in mind, we wouldn’t dare to act recklessly. As the ancient sage Confucius said, ‘With ten pairs of eyes watching and ten pairs of hands pointing, how strict it is!’ He also quoted a poem: ‘Trembling with fear, as if standing on the edge of an abyss, as if treading on thin ice.'”

Following the example of the Ming Dynasty scholar-official Xu Pu, who constantly scrutinized his own words and deeds, he placed two jars on his desk, one for storing black beans and the other for storing soybeans. Every time a virtuous thought arose in his mind, or he spoke kind words, or performed a good deed, he would put a soybean into the jar. Conversely, if there was any fault in his body, speech, or mind, he would put a black bean into the jar.

Initially, the black beans outnumbered the soybeans, prompting him to deeply reflect and motivate himself continuously. Gradually, the number of soybeans equaled that of the black beans. This drove him to even stricter self-discipline. Over time, the jar containing soybeans filled up, while the black beans seemed insignificant in comparison. With this sustained discipline and self-motivation, he constantly improved his character and eventually became a respected and virtuous statesman.

Xu Pu’s power of introspection and reform was born out of being cautious when alone. Being cautious when alone is a manifestation of high self-discipline; it enables one to maintain consistent moral consciousness, effectively safeguarding one’s actions, speech, and thoughts. For practitioners with great aspirations, if they can adhere strictly to the precepts of the Buddha and rigorously enforce self-discipline when alone, their blessings and wisdom will surely grow day by day, and their great vow to “attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings” will be fulfilled soon.

It can be said: Cultivating virtue guards body, speech, and mind,reliance on self-discipline when alone. Appearing momentarily uncomfortable,will lead to great joy in the future.