Lethal Oath

Question:

Venerable Master:
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I am a Buddhist disciple. My cousin is also Buddhist and likes to volunteer at the temples. His problem is that he has a habit of swearing for harm to come to himself [such as swearing to be harmed if such and such conditions occur], especially in front of the altars. 

He tells me that he really does not want to swear but it seems that something compels him to do so in spite of himself. I dread that he could end up hurting himself or innocent people through these deadly oaths. I would like to know why he behaves like that and where could I find a virtuous and lofty sanghan to help resolve this problem.

Thank you for your kindness. I wish you bliss and hope that you will continue to create a lot of merit and virtue through your Dharma propagation work.

Please forgive me if I improperly addressed you in making this request.

Respectfully,
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NVC

Answer:

The next time this happens, he should immediately seek a sanghan and repent. This is called confessing to a wise adviser. It will help reduce future retributions. Specifically, he must confess that he knows that his habit is wrong and that he wishes to stop this self-destructive behavior.

If the sanghan possesses enough Way virtue to overcome your cousin’s obstruction, he can then receive the help needed to eradicate his bad habit.

You are quite right, if he has enough blessings, he will be able to encounter a virtuous sanghan who can appropriately help him.

These honorable sanghans are very hard to meet because they shun the limelight. Since I rarely have the opportunity to travel, I do not know many of these sanghans. For example, there are quite a few of them in the US. There are some in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand.
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In brief, tell your cousin to continue to create even more merit and virtue with the Triple Jewel. When he has accrued enough blessings, he will be able to meet the right individual who will have the skill and ability to help him.