Celebrating 2600 years of the Buddha’s Enlightenment:

Essential understanding needed to practise the Dhamma

By Col. Sudath MADUGALLE

For countless eons the Bodhisatva practised to achieve the 10 perfections of Dana (generosity), Sila (virtue), Nekkhamma (renunciation), Pangnga (wisdom), Viriya (effort), Kshanthi (tolerance), Satya (truthfulness), Adittana (determination), Metta (compassion) and Upekkha (imperturbability). It was these perfections that provided support in his realisation of the four Noble Truths. When Mara, the Lord of Death appeared to distract the meditating ascetic under the Bodhi-Tree, determined to realise the Truth that led to the cessation of all suffering, it was the perfections that supported the Bodhisatva to vanquish Mara. As this realisation of the Truth was achieved without outside help the Buddha is known as Samma Sambuddha - the Supreme Being who realised the Truth through his own effort. The Buddha was no messenger of another’s knowledge or realisation. He was the knower of all things that needed to be known in the entire world. His teachings were based on the authentic experience he had of the path to realisation.

The process of the Bodhisatva’s realisation of the Truth highlights one key ingredient in the path to cessation of all suffering. The determination, commitment and effort to cease all suffering must be personal. The enthusiasm, effort and commitment of others do not lead to personal liberation. However, the significant advantage and support available to us is the living teachings - the Dhamma the Buddha expounded.

Undoubtedly the Buddha is the most influential teacher of this world. His intention was to enable all beings to realise the Truth that He himself had realised. He emphasised on the importance of practising the Dhamma so that it became a personal experience.

As such the Buddha never imposed restrictions on the faculty of thinking of those who wished to understand the Dhamma. He only offered guidance reminding that the Buddha was only a guide and only offered guidance, that reading the path, making effort was the responsibility of the individual.

Contemporary India boasted of many eminent teachers beside the Buddha. Some even claimed to be the Buddha themselves. However as they had not realised the Four Noble Truths, in explaining their teachings they had to impose restrictions and prevent followers from asking questions. If followers had been granted full freedom of questioning, they would not have been able to maintain their position in the society enjoying the worldly comforts offered by their followers.

In complete contrast to these teachers, the Buddha always maintained a policy of open inquiry with everyone who wished to speak with him.

The Buddha said one must follow only the teachings that he had tested by practising and understood to be wholesome. To the Kalamas of Kesaputta who questioned the Buddha as to how they may know the Truth as all teachers maintained that each one of them expounded the Truth, the Buddha responded, “Kalamas under no circumstance should one believe something because it was said to one by an eminent teacher or it was traditional knowledge or common sense. Nor should one believe something because it was found in a holy book or it seemed like the Truth and it suited one’s own theories.

“Should one realise an action to be wholesome through one’s own experience, then only should one believe such to be the Truth. How could one know an action to be wholesome and skillful? Should one realise an action to be beneficial to self and others, non harmful to self and others, only such actions are wholesome and skilful. Only in such actions should one engage.”

The Buddha said that the Dhamma had the quality of being able to be held under scrutiny and be proven as the Truth. This Ehi Passiko quality of the Dhamma invited inquiry, examination and scrutiny. The Truth and the purity of the teachings can be known only through experience. Experience is possible only through practice. That which is heard and told and seen must be tested through practice to be experienced as wholesome and skilful.

The teaching of the Buddha, the Dhamma, does not encourage blind faith or belief. The Truth of the teaching is realised only through experience. Leadership for one’s life lies with each individual being. It is not a power or responsibility that can be vested on an outside source. As such the Buddha’s teaching encourages beings to exercise wisdom and experience in leading daily life.

The Buddha allowed unsurpassable freedom to question, debate and discuss the teachings. Upali Sutta is a fine example of this freedom granted to beings to question and interact with the Dhamma. Upali was a staunch lay follower and supporter of Mahaweera, the Jain teacher of eminence.

Once he approached the Buddha claiming to the world that he would vanquish the Buddha through argumentation. However, being a very intelligent man, upon discussion with the Buddha, he realised the futility of the Jain practice of extreme asceticism and begged to be allowed to be a robed disciple of the Buddha.

The Buddha however discouraged Upali of becoming a monk, reminding him of his position within the Jain community and the impact of his decision on the Jain religion and his teacher Mahaweera.

In Chullahattipadopama Sutta, the Buddha used the smile of the footprint of the elephant to encourage inquiry and further inquiry before accepting something as the Truth. The Buddha said just by seeing the footprint of an elephant one must not decide on its size and power, that one must see the elephant before one decided on the size and nature of the elephant. Similarly with the teachings too, the Buddha said only inquiry and direct experience would enable the realisation, the seeing which ultimately led to liberation.

The Buddha allowed inquiry and scrutiny of the teachings as a means of eradicating doubt. Even on His death bed on the occasion of the Parinibbana, the Buddha invited the monks to come forward should there be one with any doubts in the Dhamma. He advised the monks that should any doubt or confusion occur regarding the Dhamma, that such doubts should be eradicated through discussion with noble ones who had experienced the Truth.

In the Maha Parinibbana Sutta in the Digha Nikaya, the Buddha specified 4 ways in which doubt in the teaching should be eradicated. “Should a monk claim that this is the Truth I heard from the Buddha Himself, that I clarified with Noble monks living in such and such monastery, that I clarified with virtuous, erudite monks of such and such a monastery or that I clarified with a virtuous, erudite monk of such and such a monastery, do not believe him. Practise the teachings yourself, test the teachings against your own experience.

“If you realise it as beneficial to self and others, non harmful to self and others, accept and further practise until it leads you to the ultimate realisation and cessation of all suffering”.

It is clear from this advice given by the Buddha on His dead bed, that realisation of the Truth can be achieved only through practising the teaching. Wholesome inquiry leads to the eradication of doubt allowing wholesome practice. Logic, argumentation, analysys and preconceived notions are not the means by which the Truth can be realised.

It is only by experiencing the teaching through one’s practice that the realisation of the Truth that leads to ultimate liberation can be achieved.

In this year of Sambuddhatva Jayanthi, celebrating the 2600th Year of Enlightenment of the Buddha, practise that leads to the cessation of suffering should be a priority for all Buddhists.

The writer is the Joint Secretary of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress.