Some Discourses
1. Dhamma may be compared to a raft. Having crossed the river one need not carry it further.
Once the Buddha gave a discourse comparing his teaching to a raft used for crossing over, not for getting hold of as follows:
“A man on his journey comes across a vast river. No boat goes to the other side, nor is there a bridge for crossing over. He then gathers grass, wood, branches and leaves to make a raft, and crosses the river with the help of the raft. After crossing safely, he leaves the raft at the shore and goes on his way.
In just the same way, I have taught the Dhamma similar to a raft; it is for crossing Samsara (the Round of Rebirth) over, not for getting hold of. He, who understands this, should give up even good things (Dhamma); how much more should he give up evil things (Adhamma).”
M. 12/280/270
2. Do not believe in any teaching with blind faith, but investigate it thoroughly before accepting it.
The Buddha once visited a small town called Kesaputta in the Kingdom of Kosala. The Kalamas, the inhabitants of the town, approached the Buddha and informed him of the visit of many recluses and brahmanas who exalted their own doctrines and condemned others. They asked the Buddha as to whom they should believe.
The Buddha admonished them saying: “Now, Kalamas, do not be led by reports, or tradition, or hearsay. Be not led by the authority of texts, nor by mere logic or inference, nor by considering appearances, nor by speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the thought ‘this is our teacher’. But, Kalamas, when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome, wrong, and bad, then give them up...And when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome, and good, then accept and follow them.”
A.20/505/241
3. When one acts contrary to the teaching, one cannot blame the teaching or the teacher.
Here is a conversation of the Buddha with a brahmana called Ganakamoggallana on one of his preaching tours:
“Suppose, Brahmana, a certain man comes up to you and asks you to show the way to the city of Rajagaha. You tell him how to get to the city of Rajagaha safe and sound. But he takes the wrong way, and does not get to the city of Rajagaha. Then a second man comes up with the same request, and you give the same instructions. He, following your advice, comes safe to the city of Rajagaha.
In just the same manner, Brahmana, there exists Nibbana, here we have the way to Nibbana, and here stand I as Instructor of the way. Yet some of my disciples, advised and trained by me, attain to Nibbana, and other do not attain. The Tathagata can only show the way.”
M.14/93/81
4. Outer and inner fire.
On one occasion, the Buddha converted the three matted-hair ascetics and their thousand pupils by delivering the Fire Sermon (Adittapariyaya-sutta):
“Monks, all is burning. What is the all that is burning? The eye is burning, the eye-consciousness is burning, the eye-contact is burning, and the sensations that arise therefrom are burning. It is the same with the other senses. They are aflame with the fire of lust, anger, ignorance, and the fire of birth, decay, death, greed, lamentation, pain, mental displeasure and despair.”
V. 4/55/62
5. Moral bathing is superior to ritual bathing.
Once a Brahmana called Sundarika Bharadvaja approached the Buddha and asked whether he bathed in the river Bahuka.
The Buddha said, “What is the use of bathing in the river Bahuka? One may bathe in the Bahuka, the Sarassati, the Bahumati and Sundarika. He may make pilgrimage to Prayaga or Gaya. They cannot wash away sins of man, nor can they make him holy. For one of pure and good deeds there is ever holiness. ‘Bathe’ yourselves in my teaching and being purified you will make all creatures secure and happy. If, brahmana, you do not kill others, if you do not steal, if you do not tell lies, if you are of right faith (accompanied by wisdom) and not stingy-what is the use of bathing in the rivers.”
M.12/98/70
6. Importance of spiritual friends.
Once the Buddha was staying among the Sakyans in the Sakka Kingdom. The Venerable Ananda said to the Buddha that he gathered that friendship is a half of the holy life. The Buddha said to him:
“Do not say so, Ananda, friendship and association with the good is the whole, not a part, of the holy life. He who is a friend, an associate, an intimate of the good is expected to develop the Eightfold Path-Right Understanding, Right Motives, Right Speech, Right Action, Right means of Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration--which is based on detachment, dispassion, and cessation, and which ends in self-surrender.”
M.19/4-6/2
7. Dhamma as a mirror for self-reflection.
"Ananda, I will tell you that which is called ‘Mirror of Truth’ by the possession of which a noble disciple should, if he wishes to do so, discern himself that he is no longer to be reborn in a bad realm of existence and that he is, as a Stream-Enterer, assured to final emancipation.
What is the ‘Mirror of Truth’? The noble disciple is possessed of clear confidence in the Buddha, in the Dhamma well-proclaimed by he Blessed One, in the Order of Sangha of the Blessed One. This is the ‘Mirror of Truth’.”
D.10/89/110
8. Training in Buddhism.
Once Kesi, a horse trainer, approached the Buddha and conversed with him. He told the Buddha that he trained his horses by mild ways and harsh ways, and also by both ways. He went on to say that if a horse did not submit to his training he would kill it.
The Buddha said he himself took the same ways of training of his disciples as Kesi did and that in case a disciple did not submit himself to his way of training he would slay him.
“If a person in question does not submit to the way of training the Tathagata thinks that he is not to be spoken to and to be admonished by his fellow monks. He is ‘killed’ in the Noble Discipline when the Tathagata and his fellow monks dismiss him” said the Buddha.
A. 21/111/150
9. Self-control.
The Blessed One used the striking simile of a tortoise which protects itself from danger to tell how one should control oneself.
“There was of former times a tortoise who was searching for its prey along a river bank. The tortoise seeing a jackal from afar drew its neck and four limbs into its shell and kept still. Now the jackal came up to it and kept watching it with the thought that as soon as the tortoise should put out its head or one of its limbs, he would quickly crack and eat it. But the tortoise, being aware of danger nearby, did not do so. The jackal, for its part, not having got a chance, went away in disappointment.
Even so, monks, Mara, the Evil One, is forever on the watch to catch anyone of you by way of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body or mind. Therefore, monks, keep watch over the doors of the senses.
Seeing an object with the eyes, be not misled by its appearance or by its lesser details, since coveting and rejection, these evil and unprofitable states, might overwhelm one who dwells with the eyes faculty uncontrolled. Apply yourselves, monks, to control thereof. So long, monk, as you live keeping watch over the doors of the senses, evil thought will never get a chance as the jackal did not get advantage over the tortoise.”
S.18/320/222
10. Creating a wholesome environment.
Merit increases always day and night,
To those who grow the grove or forest,
And those who build a bridge,
Give water for use as well as for drink,
And those who give a place to dwell,
Being righteous and endowed with moral code.
Those people will achieve the domain of happiness.
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