

                         *TEACHING THE BUDDHA-DHAMMA*
                            by Sayagyi U Chit Tin


  	The Buddha hesitated after he attained full Awakening.[1] He saw 
  that it would be difficult to those in the world who delighted in sensual 
  pleasures to attain the knowledge which meant the calming of all the 
  habitual tendencies, renouncing all attachment, the destruction of 
  craving, attaining dispassion, cessation, Nibbana. It would be wearying 
  and troublesome to teach what he had attained if others did not understand 
  him.

  	Brahma Sahampati was aware of what the Buddha was thinking. 
  According to the commentaries,[2] this Brahma had become a Non-Returner 
  under the Buddha Kassapa and was reborn in the Pure Abodes (Suddhavasa) of 
  the Brahma planes. Brahma Sahampati realized that the world could be lost 
  if the Buddha did not teach others the way to Nibbana. So he went to the 
  Buddha and requested that he teach. "There are those who have few 
  defilements," he said, "who are going to ruin through not hearing the 
  Doctrine (Dhamma). They will be the ones who fully understand the 
  Doctrine."

  	After being requested to teach three times, the Buddha, out of 
  compassion for the world, surveyed the world with the eye of an Awakened 
  One. He saw that there were all sorts of beings and that many of them 
  would not understand what he had to teach. There were a few, however, who 
  would be able to understand. Seeing this, the Buddha accepted the 
  invitation to teach.

  	Waiting to be requested before teaching is a tradition which is 
  still followed today. Trying to force the Buddha's Teachings on unwilling 
  people would produce the very result of wearisomeness which made the 
  Buddha hesitate to teach. This does not mean that we remain completely 
  passive, however. Whenever we know that there is some potential for 
  understanding in another person, we can encourage that person to request 
  to be taught. We will not have the ability of a Buddha to see for certain 
  a person's potential, but the more we experience the truth, the better we 
  will be able to judge others and find the right occasion and the right 
  approach.

  	The Buddha was able to survey the world and see who were the best 
  people to teach first. So he went first to the five ascetics who had 
  helped him during the beginnings of his struggle to attain Awakening. 
  Next, he taught the young man Yassa and fifty-four of his friends. All 
  sixty of these men attained Arahatship and became bhikkhus. Now that they 
  had understood, the Buddha sent them out to teach the Doctrine.


  //Atha kho Bhagava bhikkhu amantesi: "Muttaham bhikkhave sabbapasehi ye 
  dibba ye ca manusa. Caratha bhikkhave carikam bahujanahitaya 
  bahujanasukhaya lokanukampaya atthaya hitaya sukhaya devamanussanam. Ma 
  ekena dve agamittha. Desetha bhikkhave dhammam adikalyanam majjhe kalyanam 
  pariyosanakalyanam sattham savyanjanam kevalaparipunnam parisuddham 
  brahmacariyam pakasetha. Santi satta apparajakkhajatika assavanata 
  dhammassa parihayanti, bhavissanti dhammassa annataro. Aham pi bhikkhave 
  yena Uruvela yena Senanigamo ten' upasamkamissami dhammadesanaya" ti//.[3] 

      Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, I am released 
  from all snares, both divine and human. Bhikkhus, you are also released 
  from all snares, both divine and human. Go, bhikkhus, and wander for the 
  benefit and happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for 
  the welfare, benefit, and happiness of Devas and men. Two (of you) are not 
  to go by the same (path).[4]  Bhikkhus, teach the meaning and detail of 
  the Doctrine that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in 
  the end, fulfilled in its entirety, wholly pure. Make known the holy 
  life.[5] There are those who have few defilements, who are going to ruin 
  through not hearing the Doctrine. They will be the ones who fully 
  understand the Doctrine. And I, bhikkhus, will go to Uruvela, to 
  Senanigama, to teach the Doctrine.


  	The spread of the Buddha's Teachings has continued down to today. It 
  has spread all over the world. Those of us who teach in the tradition of 
  Sayagyi U Ba Khin are acutely aware of the importance of our mission. It 
  must be carried on through compassion for others. It is for the benefit 
  and happiness of all those who are able to give it a sincere trial.

  	The Buddha's instructions are to teach the meaning and detail of the 
  Doctrine which is good in the beginning, the middle, and the end. Ashin 
  Buddhaghosa discusses the terms in some detail in //The Path of 
  Purification//.[6] He gives a number of explanations for the fact that the 
  Doctrine contained in the texts is good in the beginning, the middle, and 
  the end.

  	First of all, each verse and each discourse, whether it contains one 
  subject or several subjects, is good. The Teachings will attract those who 
  are ready to be taught, as they are unequivocal in meaning and stand to 
  reason in terms of cause and effect and in the examples given. The 
  conclusion of a discourse will inspire faith in those who hear.

  	We can see the truth of this through our own experience. The Buddha 
  was very clear in his discourses. When he used a simile to illustrate what 
  he was teaching, he carefully explained each element in it. He did not 
  encourage blind faith based on emotional attachment to a teacher or 
  emotional reactions to attractive ideas that remained vague and open to 
  interpretation. The Buddha said what he had to say in clear language, and 
  invited those he taught to find out the truth through their own 
  experience.

  	Ashin Buddhaghosa then explains the beginning, middle, and end of 
  the doctrine in terms of the Dispensation (sasana). In an earlier 
  passage,[7] he explained these in terms of morality, concentration, and 
  wisdom (sila, samadhi, panna). In the passage we are discussing, he 
  presents these three steps in two ways. The first way is the three steps 
  most appropriate for those who have renounced lay life and gone forth. For 
  them, the beginning will be morality. The middle will be the calm 
  (samatha) attained through high levels of concentration and insight 
  (Vipassana) which leads to the Path and Fruition State. The end or goal is 
  Nibbana.

  	The second way is more appropriate for laypeople. Its beginning is 
  morality and concentration, its middle is insight and the Path, and its 
  end is the Fruition state and Nibbana.

  	This second way sums up the approach we use in meditation courses in 
  the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. The beginning is the firm foundation 
  on which we can build. Through developing morality and concentration we 
  prepare ourselves for developing insight. The degrees of morality and 
  concentration will not be as high as is usual in the case of bhikkhus or 
  bhikkhunis, due to the limitations of lay life. Fortunately for us, it is 
  possible to develop insight even though the highest levels of morality and 
  concentration have not been attained. So we can aspire to the goal of 
  Nibbana which is to be experienced through the Paths and Fruition States.

  	In his commentary on the Digha-nikaya,[8] Ashin Buddhaghosa mentions 
  the three steps of morality, concentration, and insight; and in passages 
  quoted from the canon, some other aspects of the Doctrine are included. 
  The beginning can be understood in terms of the beginning of skilful 
  mental states and this includes morality of great purity and right 
  view.[9] Right view is very important because if we have no confidence in 
  the good results that come from moral living and from working for 
  liberation, we will not make any effort. A tenacious wrong view can be the 
  most dangerous enemy, especially if cause and effect are denied. The 
  middle can be understood to mean the Middle Path,[10] and this Path is the 
  Noble Eightfold Path which leads to the ultimate goal. The end can be 
  understood to mean the fruit of leading the holy life[11] and this fruit 
  is the attaining of Nibbana.[12]

  	Ashin Buddhaghosa shows in //The Path of Purification// that the 
  beginning, middle, and end of the Doctrine can be demonstrated through the 
  Triple Gem: the Buddha discovered the truth, the Dhamma, which is the 
  well-regulated Doctrine. The Sangha -- that is to say, the community of 
  those who realize the Buddha's Teachings -- has entered the Noble Path 
  leading to experiencing the truth.

  	This is the aspect of the Doctrine we depend on so that we will be 
  able to work ourselves. These three aspects are our refuge and protection. 
  Without the Buddha to discover the truth of the Dhamma, it would remain 
  hidden. Without knowledge of the Dhamma, we would never be able to attain 
  release from suffering. Without the Sangha to practise and maintain the 
  Teachings, we would not be able to learn of the truth or find those who 
  can guide us.

  	Another way of understanding the three aspects of the Dhamma is 
  through the types of persons who achieve the goal: there are Teaching 
  Buddhas, who discover what can be attained and teach others to do the 
  same;[13] there are Pacceka Buddhas, who reach the goal but do not have 
  the ability to put others fully on the path; and there are disciples of a 
  Teaching Buddha who, through practising his Teachings, are able to attain 
  Awakening.

  	This explanation reminds us that the Teachings of a Buddha are not 
  always available. For some Buddhas, all the disciples ready to reach the 
  goal encounter those Teaching Buddhas during their lifetime and the 
  Dispensation does not continue afterwards. If this had been the case with 
  Buddha Gotama, we today would not be able to enter the Noble Eightfold 
  Path. We must make sure that we do not miss this opportunity and that we 
  make it available to as many others as possible.

  	Finally, Ashin Buddhaghosa speaks of the Dhamma as entailing 
  listening in the beginning, practising in the middle part, and attaining 
  the goal in the end. Through listening to the Doctrine, we are able to 
  suppress the hindrances. Through practising we attain the bliss to be 
  gained through the serenity of concentration and of insight. Once the 
  final goal is achieved, we will attain the state of perfection.[14]

  	In his commentary on the Anguttara-nikaya,[15] Ashin Buddhaghosa 
  gives another approach. The three steps can be redefined depending on how 
  far we have come on the path. At the lowest level of achievement, the 
  beginning, middle, and end will be morality, concentration, and insight. 
  At the next level, they will consist in concentration, insight, and the 
  Path. Higher still, they include insight, the Path, and Fruition. At the 
  highest level, we find the Path, Fruition, and Nibbana.

  	In addition, he gives the aspects of the work which should be 
  combined: morality and concentration in the beginning; insight, and the 
  Path in the middle; and Fruition and Nibbana in the end.

  	The Buddha says that the meaning and detail of the Doctrine should 
  be taught. This means that both the spirit and the letter of the Dhamma is 
  to be included. Each of these aspects compliments the other. If we 
  approach the texts looking for the meaning, we will not get lost in 
  technical analysis of the words. If we learn more and more about the 
  language of the texts, we will understand the meaning better.

  	The Buddha, of course, gave these instructions to disciples who had 
  already realized the final goal. For those of us who have not fully 
  understood, it will be necessary to remember that it is possible to 
  misunderstand. We must keep an open mind, not hesitating to re-examine 
  both the meaning and the letter of the teachings. Most importantly, we 
  must put the teachings into practise if progress is to be made.

  	Most of us study the teachings in translation. So we should keep in 
  mind the limitations in translating from one language to another. We 
  should continually seek the profound truth that lies behind the words 
  themselves. As Sayagyi U Ba Khin said, "The words of the Buddha in certain 
  teachings are so deep and subtle that I doubt whether there are proper 
  expressions in English or even in the Myanmar language (Burmese) to convey 
  his real meaning."[16] 

  	Ashin Buddhaghosa gives a number of explanations for the terms 
  "meaning" and "detail."[17] The meaning of the Doctrine will inspire those 
  who are ready to experience it and the detail will inspire faith in those 
  who lead worldly lives. The meaning refers to understanding the most 
  profound aspects and the detail refers to the Doctrine and the language 
  that conveys it. Understanding the meaning leads to attaining the goal. 
  Understanding the detail leads to mastering the texts.

  	In saying that the Doctrine has been fulfilled in its entirety, we 
  should understand that nothing can be added to it. It includes the five 
  aspects of the Doctrine: morality, concentration, understanding, 
  deliverance, and knowledge and vision of deliverance. In our own practice, 
  and in teaching others, we must be careful not to change the Teachings in 
  any way. It is very easy to make mistakes out of a desire to help others, 
  or out of an inability to live up to the high standards of the Doctrine. 
  We cannot argue with the truth. It will be helpful if we are honest with 
  ourselves with respect to our own limitations. Studying the Teachings and 
  having teachers on whom we can rely will be indispensible in avoiding the 
  mistake of trying to add on to the Buddha's Doctrine.

  	The Doctrine is wholly pure. In other words, nothing can be taken 
  away from it. We cannot follow only part of the Teachings if we are ever 
  to reach the end of suffering. The Teachings are to be used to cross over 
  the dangerous flood of desire and suffering. The Doctrine is not concerned 
  with worldly things. This reminds us that we should not be distracted by 
  lesser goals. The Buddha's Teachings will be incomplete if they are used 
  to gain material benefits, in this world or the next. We must work 
  ourselves, and help others to work, for the true happiness of attaining 
  Nibbana.

                                                Sayagyi U Chit Tin


                                  FOOTNOTES:

  [1]  The events after the Buddha's Awakening through the sending out of 
  the first sixty Arahats is found in BD IV 6-29. See also Bhikkhu Nanamoli, 
  //The Life of the Buddha//, pp. 37-53.

  [2]  See DPPN, s.v. Sahampati.

  [3]  Vin I 20.

  [4]  Ashin Buddhaghosa explains this in the commentary to the Vinaya- 
  pitaka (Sp 966) as meaning "Two must not go by the same path." In the 
  commentary to Samyutta-nikaya (Spk I 172), he says, "Two persons are not 
  to go by one path; for indeed, having gone by the same (path), (when) they 
  teach the doctrine, one (of them) would have to remain silent."

  [5]  We follow Ashin Buddhaghosa's discussion of the qualities of the 
  Dhamma (//Path//, Chap. VII paras. 72f.; cf. his commentary on the Digha- 
  nikaya, Sv I 175-177) by taking all the adjectives with it rather than 
  having some modify the holy life (brahmacariya).

  [6]  //Path//, Chapter VII 69-73.

  [7]  //Path//, Chapter I 10.

  [8]  Sv I 176.

  [9]  Quoted from KS V 121.

  [10] Ashin Buddhaghosa quotes from the First Sermon (BD IV 15).

  [11] Quote untraced, but see MLS I 190 and KS V 193.

  [12] Quote from MLS I 367.

  [13] This aspect is not clear in Bhikkhu Nanamoli's translation. We 
  understand this passage to refer to the three types of goal that can be 
  undertaken when a person hears the Doctrine and first determines to work 
  for Awakening -- to either become a Teaching Buddha, a Pacceka Buddha, or 
  a disciple.

  [14] //Tadi-bhava//, translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli by "[unshakable] 
  equipoise."

  [15] Mp II 201.

  [16] See //The Anecdotes of Sayagyi U Ba Khin// (1982), p. 9.

  [17] //Path//, Chapter VII paras.72f. We do not include all the details 
  here.




                         Worldwide  Contact Addresses
                    in the Tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


  *AUSTRIA*:  International Meditation Centre, A-9064 St. Michael/Gurk 6,
              Austria;Tel: +43 4224 2820, Fax: +43 4224 28204
              Email: CIS, IMC-Austria, 100425,3423

  *EASTERN AUSTRALIA*: International Meditation Centre, Lot 2 Cessnock Road,
              Sunshine NSW 2264, Australia;
              Tel: +61 49 705 433, Fax: +61 49 705 749

  *UNITED KINGDOM*: International Meditation Centre, Splatts House,
              Heddington, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 OPE, England;
              Tel: +44 380 850 238, Fax: +44 380 850 833,
              Email: CIS, IMC-UK,100330,3304

  *USA (East Coast)*: International Meditation Centre, 438 Bankard Road,
              Westminster MD 21158, USA;
              Tel: +1 410 346 7889, Fax: +1 410 346 7133;
              Email:  CIS, IMC-USA, 74163,2452

 *WESTERN AUSTRALIA*: International Meditation Centre, Lot 78 Jacoby Street,
              Mahogany Creek WA 6072, Australia;
              Tel: +61 9 295 2644, Fax: +61 9 295 3435

  *CANADA*:   IMC-Canada, 336 Sandowne Drive, Waterloo, Ontario, N2K 1V8,
              Canada; Tel: +1 519 747 4762, Fax: +1 519 725 2781

  *GERMANY*:  Sayagyi U Ba Khin Gesellschaft, Christaweg 16, 79114 Freiburg,
              Germany, Tel: +49 761 465 42, Fax: +49 761 465 92

  *JAPAN*:    Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, Komatsuri-Cho 923,
              Kishiwada-Shi, Osaka-Fu, 596 Japan, Tel: +81 724 45 0057

  *THE NETHERLANDS*: Sayagyi U Ba Khin Stichting, Oudegracht 124, 3511 AW
              Utrecht, The Netherlands,
              Tel: +31 30 311 445, Fax: +31 30 340 612

  *SINGAPORE*: Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Association, 9 Penang Road #07-12,
              Park Mall, Singapore 0923
              Tel: +65 338 6911, Fax: +65 336 7211

  *SWITZERLAND*: Sayagyi U Ba Khin Gesellschaft, Greyerzstrasse 35, 3013
              Bern, Switzerland;Tel: +41 31 415 233, Fax: +41 61 271 4184;
              Email: CIS, 100256,3576

  *USA (West Coast)*: Contact Address: IMC-USA c/o Joe McCormack,
              77 Kensington Rd., San Anselmo, CA 94960,U.S.A.
              Tel: +1 415 459 3117, Fax: +1 415 459 4837

  *BELGIUM*:  Address as for the Netherlands, Tel: +32 2 414 1756

  *DENMARK*:  Contact Address: Mr. Peter Drost-Nissen, Strandboulevarden
              117, 3th, 2100 Kopenhagen, Denmark. Tel: 031 425 636

  *ITALY*:    Contact address: Mr. Renzo Fedele, Via Euganea 94, 35033
              Bresseo PD, Italy.  Tel: +39 49 9900 752

              --------------------------------------------------
      Published by the Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, United Kingdom
               Address as above, registered charity no. 280134
              --------------------------------------------------


  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TITLE OF WORK: Teaching the Buddha-Dhamma
  FILENAME: TEACHING.ZIP
  AUTHOR: Sayagyi U Chit Tin
  AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: n/a
  PUBLISHER'S ADDRESS: International Meditation Centre, Splatts House,
              Heddington, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 OPE, England
  COPYRIGHT HOLDER: The Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, U.K.
  DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1995
  RIGHTS & RESTRICTIONS: See paragraph below.
  DATE OF DHARMANET DISTRIBUTION: 19 February 1995
  ORIGIN SITE: BODY DHARMA * Berkeley CA 510/836-4717 DharmaNet (96:101/33)

  The copyright holder retains all rights to this work and hereby grants
  electronic distribution rights to DharmaNet International. This work may
  be freely copied and redistributed electronically, provided that the file
  contents (including this Agreement) are not altered in any way and that it
  is distributed at no cost to the recipient. You may make printed copies of
  this work for your personal use; further distribution of printed copies
  requires permission from the copyright holder. If this work is used by a
  teacher in a class, or is quoted in a review, the publisher shall be
  notified of such use. See the title page of this work for any additional
  rights and restrictions that may apply.

       DharmaNet International, P.O. Box 4951, Berkeley, CA 94704-4951

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  [end of file]             

