The Supreme Buddha - The Greatest of Teachers

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• From a chapter in the book - The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero

The Supreme Buddha assumes a foremost place among teachers, professors and savants who an expert mastery over educational science, educational technique and educational psychology.

Buddhists characterize the Buddha as 'Tiloguru' - the Teacher of three Works. A teacher who has won the genuine affection, genuine respect and the genuine devotion from his countless pupils as much as the Buddha, has never appeared in the line o f teachers in the whole of human kind.

At first he had only five pupils. At the time of his great demise the number of his disciples who were scattered over hundreds of miles in various cities and provinces of India, exceeded hundreds of thousands. In the whole history of mankind the only lecturer, the only speaker, the only preceptor, the only teacher who converted a vast multitude towards him, through his discourses, through his talks through his advice, and through his teachings, was the Supreme Buddha.

Hearing his discourses, the devotees of other religious teachers began to take refuge in him in their hundreds and thousands. Those religious teachers who lost their followers started saying that the Buddha was a magician and that he knew how to hypnotize.

Hearing this, the Licchavi King Bhaddiya asked the Buddha,

"Is it true that you know the magic of hypnotizing people, of attracting and holding them to you?"

"Is it true that you know the magic of hypotizing people, of attracting and holding them to you?"

The Buddha replied,

"O Bhaddiya, please do not accept anything simply because you heard it, or because it came down through generations, or because it was so recorded in history, or because it is stated so in the text, or because it squares with the logic and the theory. You must accept something only when you yourself understand it as the truth, and when you yourself realize it as the truth." "Sutam metam bhante mayavi samano Gotama avattani mayam janati. So anna ththayanam savake avatteti ti etha tumhe Bhaddiya ma paramparaya ma itikiraya attanaca janeyyatha.

(Angutura Nikaya - Cutukka Nipita - Bhaddiya Sutta)

So saying, Buddha stated that what he does is only showing what is virtuous and what evil, and that he has never asked anyone to become his disciple. this indicates clearly that seeing their disciples seeking the Buddha in their thousands , the other religious teachers were jealous of him. The principal Teaching mode utilized at the time was the format in which the disciple listened while the teacher lectured. The Pali for disciple is 'savaka' , which signifies 'listener'. Those who listened to the Buddha were described as 'Buddha Savakas'. As the Buddha is all-compassionate, he never threatened the disciple. Nor did he reprimand them or intimidate them. He never chased them out. Nor did he give them corporal punishment.

In the course o f his Teaching, he never used a single word that the disciples would not understand. The Buddha, who was adept in educational science and psychology, obtained a penetrating view of their character and their thoughts, and taught in a manner that befitted them. Those who came to see him and to question him, assuming that they were more learned and more knowledgeable than the Buddha, became his obedient disciples at the end.

This great Teacher possessed the power to see the minds, of others and to recall past births (paracitta vijanana pubbe nivasanusssati). In consequence, he could figure out, immediately on seeing a person, that he had such and such character trits, his thoughts and ideas were such and such and that he has had such and such a past. This was not all. The Buddha could see several of his past births, too.

The worst punishment that the Buddha imposed on a very stubborn student was 'Brahma Danda'. The expression 'Brahma Danda' implies the 'noble punishment'. In the course of this punishment the friends and associates of the punished person boycott him and refrain from talking to him.

Ven. Chann was given this punishment. channa was born the same day as Prince Siddhartha. He was the person who became [[Prince Siddhartha's closest associate from childhood on. Being inordinately proud of this, even after becoming a monk, he di not show due deference to such great arahants as Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggallana. He showed no deference to anyone other than the Buddha. In order to dispel his inordinate pride, the Buddha imposed 'Brahma Danda' on him.

A special characteristic in the V's Teaching style was his method of driving home a point using similes, metapors, examples and instances. If calculated, the number of similes and metaphors he has used exceeds thousands. He has derived all these similes and metaphors from daily life and from his environmen.

Here are some instances: "as a cart-wheel following the bull's hoofs (cakkam va vahato padam);

like a shadow that constantly accompanies a body (chayava anapayini);

like the moon emerging from a cloud (abbhamuttova chandima)";

just as the wind topples the weak tree (vato rukkham va dubbalam);

just as the spoon does not know the taste of curries (dabbi supa rasam yatha);

fattens like a bull (balivaddo va jirati);

just as milk does not curdle immediately on being milked (sajju khiram va muccati);

experts in water-management direct the water to any place they want (udakam hi nayanti netika);

just as the cowherd directs the cattle to the pasture with his goad (yatha dandena gopalo gavo paceti gocaram);

weeds are a threat to the field (tina dosani khettnai).

The Buddha's Teaching atre gfull of such similes and metaphors.

The Buddha narrated thousands of stories and anecdotes to make the disciples appreciate a point. All the stories in the five hundred and fifty Jataka Tales (Birth Stories) were narrated to the disciples on various occasions in relation to various incidents.

The Buddha performed his educational service by questioning, by responding to questions from students, by delivering Discourses on some specific topics, by discussions and introducing techniques that would enable the disciples to understand matters for themselves.

In all the monasteries he dwelt in, there were auditoriums. The pulpit in the centre of such auditoriums was always reserved of such auditoriums was always reserved for the Buddha. When the disciples were discussing some issue, the Buddha would visit the place and would occupy the pulpit reserved for him. Then he would participate in the discussion that had been going on. We would ask the monks.

"what were you discussing before I came in here?" (Kaynuttha Bhikkhave etarahi kathaya sannisinnati.")

One monk out of the whoke totally silent congregation will stand up and say,

"O Sir, we did not indulge in those thirty-two forms of talks, like talking about kings, thieves etc. (raja katha, cora katha). We were discussing such and such an incident, relating to such and such a monk."

At that point the Buddha will reveal an aspect of the incident that no one knew until then. Those monks who listen to him begin to dmire the Buddha more and more.

The Buddha, nlike most other teachers, did not use only his monastery or his auditorium for teaching. The Buddha taught his disciples mostly in open air. The Buddha's class-rooms were public parks, cemeteries, rock-slabs, sandy stretches, shade of trees, fields, pasture-land, poor hovels, the public roads and the forest. these were places that had an uncluttered environment. The Buddha quoted examples and instances from what was found then and there, right before their eyes.

The Buddha would teach in such a pragrmatic way that when a disciple brings a vessel filled with water to wash his feet, he would use that itself as the topic to teach the disciples, leading to his attainment of arahantship (sainthood).

The Buddha instructred Ven. Culla Panthaka to rub a piece of pure white cloth with both his hands, looking at the sun, repeating 'Rajo haranam - rajo haranam' (removing blemishes). That young monk who was dejected that he could not memorize just one stanza thogh he tried hard for four months, became an arahant as a result of theBuddha's psychologically structured instruction.

When the Buddha visits a field where cultivators are at work he teaches making use of the ploughing, the farmer, the grains and the cattle as metaphors.

When he visits a river where people bathe to cleanse themselves of sin, the Buddha teaches them putting forward valid reasons that sins cannot be got rid of by washing them away in a holy rive. (Kim Siddarika karissati? Kim Payaga?)

When he goes to a forest he compares what he has taught and what he has not taught to leaves that are falle, dried leaves thet still remain in the trees, respectivley. Ahen he goes to to a cemetery he instructs the disciples, taking a dead body as the example.

The Buddha heard that Sirima, the beautiful courtesan, had died suddenly. The Buddha instructed ing Losala not to cremate the body of that curtesan who had conquered the whole city with her bewitching beauty. He instructed the king to keep her body at the cemetery for four days, protecting it so that animals could not get near it. The Buddha reuested the king to assemble the people of that city there on the fourth day. The king acted as instructed.

On the appointed day, the cemetery was totally crowded with the people who had totally crowded with the people who had assembled there on the king's orders. The Buddha arrived at the cemetery with his disciples at the appointed time. The Buddha requested the king to auction Sirima's body which had been valued at thousands of gold coins per hour, when she was alive.

King Kosala started the auction, indicating an initial value of a thousand gold coins. He asked the people to make bids. There were no bidders. He lowered the price to five-hundred gold coins. And, at the end, he brought it down to one gold coin. Still, there were no bidders. Then the king askded the people to take it free. No one was willing to take away that body which, at that point, waas bloated and was oozing at all orifices.

The Buddha gave those teeming crowds assembled there a Discourse on the impermanence of beauty, the illusion of beauty, and that it was folly to beoverwhelmed by; beauty. This way the Buddha taught the people a practical lesson about the futility of being deceived by beauty.

On some occasions the Buddha refrained from teching certain perso;ns, from advising certain persons. He devised interesting methods. He enabled those people to understand thigs for themselves.

The only son of yong Kisa Gotami was dead. Born in an excessively affluent family she ws not awatre that a dead person could not be brought back to life. She got many physicians to treat her child, but to no avail. No one was able to bring back her dead son to life. After everything failed, she went to the Buddha with her so;n's dead body. She placed her son's dead body at the Buddha feet, and asked him to bring her son back to life.

The supremely compassionate V, who was also a supreme psychologist, did not reject her request outright. The Buddha realized that there was no use giving her a religious Discourse when she was so deranged in mind due to her son's death. Therefore, he said,

"all right, I will bring him back to life."

The mind of the young mother who had been sorely distraught as all the physicians had refused to treat him, was relieved, at least to some extent, whenthe Buddha accepted to treat him. "If you can get the medicine I prescribe, I will bring back your son to life," the Buddha said next. "What medicine, Sir?" "A pinch of mustard." "Oh, that is simple, I will bring it quickly,"

So saying, she got ready to go.

"But wait a bit. That pinch of mustard must be from a house where death had never occured." "All right, Sir, I will bring the mustard."

Kisa Gotami took her son's dead body and left Jetavana Monastery. She entered the main street of the city of Savatthi. She went into the first house she saw. "The Buddha said that he will bring back my dead son to life if I can fetch a pinch of mustard. Could you please give me some mustard?"

The housewife funs into the and brings a pinch of mustard. Kisa Gotami tke the mustard and asks,

"Has anyone died in this house?'

"yes, our grandgfather died, our father died, a brother died." "If so, I don't need this mustard. I need mustard from a house where no one had died. I will ask next door."

Kisa Gotami went to the next door. There, too, she received mustard. But, since there too death had occurred, she went to another house. This way, she visited about a hundred houses in the city. Everywhere she received a similar answer. Truth began to dawn in her mind, little by litle. She realized that death had happened not only to her son, but to a multitude. On the one hand reality dawned upon her. On the other hand the stench from the dead body was unbearable. Realizingthe true nature of death she discarded the dead body in the cemetery, and went back to the Buddha. worshipping the Buddha she asked him to ordain her. The Buddha asked her,

"Did you bring a handful of mustard?"

"O Sir, I have now realized the true nature of death. Please ordain me and make me acheive the deathless."

The Buddha sent her to the nuns so she could be ordained a nun. Shortly after she was ordained a nun, she attained Sainthood.

This story shows how the Buddha taught a lesson without delivering a Discourse. Kisa gptami was a mother who was distracted to the point of madness due to the death of her son. It was not proper to preach the Doctrine to her at that time. Therefore, the Buddha did not deliver a sermon to her. He devised a method that would enable her to realize the nature of death, by herself.

Some teachers do not quite like the idea of students asking them questions to clarify issues they cannot understand. During Buddha's time there were six religious teachers - Purana Kassapa and others - who were senior to the Buddha. They were the teachers of exclusive ascetic groups. They appeared as religious leaders. They were famous and received considerable material support. They were philosophic and were respected by many. Ascetic Sabhiya went to met each of these religious leaders and questioned them. But, they wouldn't answer. They get angry. They find fault with him. They say unpleasant things. They show their displeasure by their body language.

Sabhiya the ascertic then thought this way: "These teachers are mature, aged, have lived long, old advanced in years, stable in their religious life. They are accepted by the world as saints. They have been in religious life for long." (Jinna, vuddha, mahallaka, addhagata, vayo anuppatta, thera, rattannu cira pabbajita.). But, when they are asked a question, to get a clarification, they get angry, become irate, shout, find fault. If they are like this it is better to give up my ascetic life and become as layman.

whatever it is I will meet Gotama and try to put my questions to him. gotrama is very young. He is young and is junior in asceticism (Samano hi Gotamo daharo ce va jatiya, navo ca pabbajjaya.). But, one must not look down upon him because he is young. He has great psychic power. He is awe-inspiring prowess (Samano kho daharoti na paribbhavatabbo, daharopi vesa samano Gotamo mahiddike hoti, mahanubhavo). Because of this I will go and question him."

He went to the Buddha and after the initial pleasantries, he told the Buddha,

"I have several doubts in my mind. I want to question you about these. Will you answer them, Sir?"

"Sabhiya, you came over a longdistance of 700 yojanas to ask questions. Ask all the questions you want. I will answer your questions one by one, systematically, according to the law, according to the significance," said the Buddha (Durato va agatosi Sabhiya - panhe pucchitum akamkhamano tesantakaro bhavami te panhe te puttho - anupubbham, anudhammam vyakaromi te).

Sabhiya was extremely surprised.

"It is quite surprising, indeed. It is impossible to get permission from other teachers to ask questions, not to say anything about asking questions. But, this ascetic Gotama allowed it very pleasantly."

(Acchariyam vatabho, abbhutam vatabho yavataham annesu samana Brahmanesu okasa kamma mattampi nalatham kim me idham samanena Gotamena okasa kammam katam.) He, overwhelmed with joyu, began to ask questions.

(Sutta Nipita - Sabhiyu Sutta)

One can appreaciate the greatness of the Buddha as a Teacher from this story. When Buddha was asked questions, he respondedto them fearlessly. He never displayed a displeasure at being questions. He was happy when questions were asked. The Buddha could visualize, through hisw wisdom, the heart, the inner workings of all those who came to ask him questions. Seeing the hearts and minds of the questioners, the Buddha will answer their questions in terms of their specific needs, and in terms of their thoughts. By his efficient answers to their questions the Buddha removes the pride in the minds of the questioners.

When the Buddha has created a humility in the minds of the questioners. He can get the questioners themselves to say:

"O Samana Gotama, your resolutions of questions is really great. You explained the Doctrine in variety of ways, as if you are turning up a vessel that had been turned down, as if you are revealing something that had been concealed, and as ifdirections are being shown to a bewildered person who has lost his way. We take refuge in you, in the Dhamma, and in the Sangha. Please consider me from today as a devotee who has taken refuge in the triple Gem, until the end of my days." Even such Brahmins as [[Saccaka, Ambattha, Sonadnda, Kutadanta, Potthapada, Payasi, Sabhiya, Sela who were adept in the Three vedas, and such demons as Alavaka, could not defeat the Buddhaby asking him questions. One novice monk behaved badly in the presence of the Buddha. The Buddha, who knew his past thoroughly, did not become displeased with him. He continued to show him compassion.

"A householder from an affluent family in the city of Savatthi became a mok after his wife died. He got down into the temple all the furniture, clothes, grains and other effects that were in his house. He got his servants to cook him rich meals. He spent his days eating and drinking at a level of high luxury. He would not wear at night the robe he put on during the day, the robe he wore in the night. He lived in the midst of many possessions. He was known as the 'possessor of many things'.

One day, he kept his robes, bed-sheets etc., in the sun, and was waiting until they dried,. At that time, some monks from provincial areas were visiting the monastery. Seeing robes and clothes drying in the sun as at a washermen's point, the monks asked, "Whose effects are these?" The monk 'possessor of many things' said, "They are all mine."

The monks said, "The Buddha has permitted only three-fold robes and an alms bowl, hasn't he? Being a monk in Buddha's Order who advocates few possessions, why have you hoarded such a vast array of possessions?" The monks took him to the Buddha and complained against his behaviour.

The Buddha said to him,

"I extol the virtues of a life with few possessions. Why do you hoard these things, without donating whatever things you get?"

The monk became angry. He discarded his robe right in the midst of the four-fold congregation, and asked,

"Do you want me to be like this?"

The assembly of monks was stunned and bewildered by the unseemly and stubborn behaviour of the monk.

The Buddha extended his incomparable compassion to that monk and said,

"O Monk, this an occasion when we have to show you the greatest compassion. Although you display a lack of shame and fear today, you kept on seeking the meaning of 'shame and fear' for twelve long years when you were born in a previous birth as a 'water demon'

(Devadhamma Jataka - Birth tale Devadhamma) when you were so concerned with 'shame and fear' during that birth, why do you behave so shamelessly in the midst of this assembly, while being ordained in such a noble Order as this?"

The monk regained his senses and quickly picked up the discarded robe and put it on again

(Saddharamaratn avali - The story of Bahubhan dika Thero)

In such instances, the Buddha displayed the incomparable compassio of a great teacher.

In ancient India, among those erudite teachers in all branches of knowledge such as the Vedas, medicine, astrology, drama, music etc., there was the strong tradition of teachers keeping some secrets for themselves. In short, they never taught their wisdom fully to their pupils. For self-protection, they kept a very exclusive part of their expertise to themselves.

Bhddha, born in such an age, taught everything he knew, and all things the people wanted, without any selfishness. The Bhddha said,

"Ananda, in the Buddha’s Teaching there is no part that is kept as ‘teacher’s secret’."(Natthi Ananda Tathagatssa dhammesu acariya muttha.).

This was said buy the Buddha himself to Ven. Ananda. The Buddha’s urge to teach others what he knew was so strong in him that even when he was in his death bed at the age of eight, he asked the monks three times,

"O Monks, if you have to know anything from me, ask me now itself. Do not repent later saying we were not able to know these matters when the Buddha was still alive. Therefore, ask me now itself, whateven you want to know. I a given monk cannot ask me directly, get a friend to ask me. I will gladly answer any question you have to ask."

(Maha Parinbbana Sutta)

All other religious teachers, savious, creators, leaders etc., never even hinted at the appearance of another like themselves. They never wished such an appearance. But, the Buddha was happy if everybody in the world was a Buddha like himself. He taught the technique to achieve that state. His sincere wish ws that the greatness he won – the supreme Enlightenment he attained – should be reached by all.

"If one endeavoured, if one strove, if one fulfilled the perfections, everybody could be a Buddha,"

He said,

The Buddha never threatened anyone, saying, “do it this way. If you do not do it this way, I will punish youthis way,” The Buddha pointed out what was good and what was bad, and their relative results, with a compassionate kind heart, saying, “This is good, this is bad; if you do good, such good results will ensue; if you do bad such evil results will follow. “There was not even a trace of selfishness or self-gain in this great, compassionate Teacher.

This great Teacher never expected adoration, gain, profit or worship from his pupils. He kept on rejection gain, profit, glory, praise as harmful, and as a danger to the achievement of Sainthood which is the hightst spiritual victory.

This unique Teacher never categorized anyone as ‘bad’. Never got rid of anyone. Never chased out anyone. H went in search of those who were castigated by society as bad. He met them, talked to them with capassion, and transformed them into good men.

Angulimala, who became a symbol of devotion to teachers, was a fierce murderer for all the people in India. When they merely heard his name the king and his men trembled in fear. All efforts to destroy him were in vain. None of these was able to see that, concealed within this ferocious murderer, there dwelt an Arahant. In other words he had the potentiality for becoming an Arahants. Only the Teacher of Three Works was ables to see this.

Seeing this he went to meet Angulimala, while the people gathered on either side of the road, made a worshipful entreaty, saying,

"O Sir, please do not walk that way. Angulimala is lurking there. He kills whomsoever he sees, and cuts their fingers. If you went that way, he will kill you too, and cut your fingers,"

This fearless Teacher disregarded all those pleas. Like a kind father going in search of a disobedient son, he went to Angulimala, subdued him tamed him, and made him attain the highest rung, or the highest peak of non-violence, which is the Arahanthood. He achieved this not through the power of some magic, but through the power of great compassion.

When Ambapali the renowned courtesan visited the monastery and invited him for a meal at her residence, he did not reject that invitation, saying, “You are a well-known courtesan. If I visit your residence and take a meal, there will be all kinds of gossip in the country,” Instead, he accepted the invitation gladly. The Licchavi kings, too, invited the Buddha for meals, the very same day. But, as the Buddha had accepted the previous invitation from Ambapalli, he could not accept the invitation from the Licchavi kings.

The Buddha visited [[Ambapali’s residence with his disciples. The Buddha had his meals there, and preached the Doctrine to her. He transformed her into a great female devotee who had totally given up the courtesan’s profession.

All teachers are likely to have great qualities as well as minor shortcomings. Pupils have a unique ability to measure the quality of a teacher. But, the only teacher a single shortcoming of whom no pupil could ever detect, was the Buddha. Not one pupil out of thousand his superior quality. He possessed all the qualities essential for teacher.

He was a great Teacher full of thousands of such virtues as loving-kindness, compassion, patience, purity of character, being exemplary, possessing rue knowledge of all subjects taught, highest level of wisdom, capacity to explain so that the pupils will understand thoroughly, having nothing that will arouse the slilghtest suspicion of pupils, not doing wrong even secretly, sympathy for others, and being devoid of such weaknesses as jealousy and hatred.

Kings came to this great Teacher, giving up their royal splendour, guild-masters sought him, giving up their affluence. Ministries, husbands came giving up their wives, wives came, giving up their husbands, parents came, giving up their children, children came, giving up their parents, householders came to him, giving up their households. They all came and became his pupils.

When the Buddha visited the market town of Apana in Anguttarapa, a line of 1, 250 pupils marched in single file behind him. Seeing the line of monks headed by the Buddha, walking serenely with restraint, the whole of the market town was quite impressed. All the people left their homes and stood on either side of the road, An anafflucent Brahmin called Keniya, pleased at the of this Bhikkhu pageant, invited them to his house for nest day day’s mid-day meal. The Buddha did not accept the invitation, saying,

"We are a very large group. It will be extremely difficult to prepare the mid-day meal the next day for such a large group."

The Buddha accepted it after he extended the invitation three times. Keniya assembled all the people in the village and put various people in charge of various tasks. Thus, he offered meals the next day to 1,250 monks headed by the Buddha. The Buddha was fully aware of the logistical problems that will have to be faced by the donors when they had to prepare meals to such a large group as 1,250 persons.

(Sutta Nipika – Sela Sutta)

The Buddha did not want to accept invitation that will entail difficulties to others. It is clear by his non-acceptance of the invitation three times. This great Teacher highly esteemed the deference to teachers.

Immediately on attaining Enlightenment his first concern was to see whether he had a teacher who should be honoured , and to obtain advice from. When he searched, he found that he did not even have another person like him, not to say anything about a person who could be recognized as his teacher. (Na me acariya atthi sadisa mena navijja ti.)

"Ido not have a teacher. Not even a person who is similar to me."

Therefore, the Buddha kept Dhamma (the Doctrineas his teacher.

The Buddha is a example to all the teachers in the world. Teachers, when they educate their pupils, must consider disciplined his pupils, how he taught them, how he subdued his pupils. He directed his pupils along the right path. He made the lives of his pupil successful, and how he fulfilled that the aims of his pupils.