What might be the long therm effects of ignoring ones duties?

Question

There are those who not only deny one's faults as a "Dhammic" approach, but also are very anti-social (absence of gratitude and dutyfullness), with tendencies found in "I don't like people but I like buddhism" and certain answers. This attitude seem common given modern consumerism and individualism, yet ignores the fact that material goods have no goodness but are dependent on people's voluntary or forced sacrifices.

So is it with some "Buddhists". There is no Buddhism without gratitude for people who sacrificed a lot that is not possible to repay. How can such an attitude of "I don't like people but I like 'food'" ever justify itself?

What might be the long term effects for people of such wrong views and trained to consumerism/householder-equanimity?

What will be the bill to pay, sooner or later, for grave wrong view?

(note that this is not given for exchange, trade, stacks or nourishing bonds to the world but for liberation)

Answer 1

In AN6.54 there was an ungrateful monk Dhammika, who craved solitude and was not hospitable to visiting monks. Eventually his kamma caught up with him and:

Then the local lay followers went up to Venerable Dhammika and said to him: “Sir, please leave all seven monasteries in our native land.” Then Venerable Dhammika thought: “I’ve been banished by the local lay followers from all seven monasteries in my native land.

Because of his lack of gratitude and sense of duty, Dhammika was forsaken by all.

Distressed and woeful, Dhammika went to the Buddha, who scolded him:

“When someone abuses, annoys, or argues with an ascetic, the ascetic doesn’t abuse, annoy, or argue back at them. That’s how an ascetic stands by an ascetic’s duty.”

And Dhammika acknowledged his fault:

“I was not standing by an ascetic’s duty when the local lay followers banished me from all seven of the monasteries in my native land.”

The Buddha then directed:

But someone who abuses and insults a single person accomplished in view with malicious intent makes even more bad karma. Why is that? Brahmin Dhammika, I say that any injury done by those outside of the Buddhist community does not compare with what is done to one’s own spiritual companions. So you should train like this: ‘We will have no malicious intent for those who we want to have as our spiritual companions.’ That is how you should train.

These are some of the long term effects of ignoring ones duties.

Answer 2

At the very least one will be lazy and sluggish and this will be feeding a hindrance of drowsiness and without concentration it will be hard to remain contented with the Holy Life.

"Monks, there are these eight grounds for laziness. Which eight?

"There is the case where a monk has some work to do. The thought occurs to him: 'I will have to do this work. But when I have done this work, my body will be tired. Why don't I lie down?' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the first grounds for laziness.

"Then there is the case where a monk has done some work. The thought occurs to him: 'I have done some work. Now that I have done work, my body is tired. Why don't I lie down?' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the second grounds for laziness.

"Then there is the case where a monk has to go on a journey. The thought occurs to him: 'I will have to go on this journey. But when I have gone on the journey, my body will be tired. Why don't I lie down?' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the third grounds for laziness.

"Then there is the case where a monk has gone on a journey. The thought occurs to him: 'I have gone on a journey. Now that I have gone on a journey, my body is tired. Why don't I lie down?' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the fourth grounds for laziness.

"Then there is the case where a monk, having gone for alms in a village or town, does not get as much coarse or refined food as he needs to fill himself up. The thought occurs to him: 'I, having gone for alms in a village or town, have not gotten as much coarse or refined food as I need to fill myself up. This body of mine is tired & unsuitable for work. Why don't I lie down?' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the fifth grounds for laziness.

"Then there is the case where a monk, having gone for alms in a village or town, does get as much coarse or refined food as he needs to fill himself up. The thought occurs to him: 'I, having gone for alms in a village or town, have gotten as much coarse or refined food as I need to fill myself up. This body of mine is heavy & unsuitable for work, as if I were many months pregnant. Why don't I lie down?' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the sixth grounds for laziness.

"Then there is the case where a monk comes down with a slight illness. The thought occurs to him: 'I have come down with a slight illness. There's a need to lie down.' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the seventh grounds for laziness.

"Then there is the case where a monk has recovered from his illness, not long after his recovery. The thought occurs to him: 'I have recovered from my illness. It's not long after my recovery. This body of mine is weak & unsuitable for work. Why don't I lie down?' So he lies down. He doesn't make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the eighth grounds for laziness.

"These are the eight grounds for laziness. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.080.than.html

Answer 3

Although the question goes actually further, it seems that most are not aware of their duties at first place. Corrupt minded, poisoned by modern ideas and corrupt teacher which did them lot of favors for their own belly's sake, people are caught in the illusion that claiming and calling for rights may be the way out and so they focus on others rather then on their own, yet others might be actually already far beyond. Since the mode of communists or pseudo-liberalists is that destruction of all sublime might bring them freedom, it's hard that they will ever start to work. How ever, for those having possible Nissaya toward those who having left any Nissaya, a reminder and may you have the possibility to get the "snake" Dhamma not caught on its tail again and again:

A selection of duties for good dwelling in the world and to come near borderlands to the Noble domain:

"In five ways, young householder, should a householder minister to ascetics and brahmans as the Zenith:

(i) by lovable deeds, (ii) by lovable words, (iii) by lovable thoughts, (iv) by keeping open house to them, (v) by supplying their material needs.

"The ascetics and brahmans thus ministered to as the Zenith by a householder show their compassion towards him in six ways:

(i) they restrain him from evil, (ii) they persuade him to do good, (iii) they love him with a kind heart, (iv) they make him hear what he has not heard, (v) they clarify what he has already heard, (vi) they point out the path to a heavenly state.

"In these six ways do ascetics and brahmans show their compassion towards a householder who ministers to them as the Zenith.

For those seeking after refuge in the Three Gems, again as told here:

‘We will have no malicious intent for those who we want to have as our spiritual companions.’

No one can help you out i you are neither see all the debts and also not willing to work for what you desire eagerly, falling for Mara and his host again and again.