1
Pointing To Dhamma
By Ven. Khantipalo Bhikkhu
Book One
Foreword and Introduction
Foreword
The 'pointing to Dhamma' or 'sermons' in this book have been complied by the Author from amongst the Dhammadesana that he has given at various times and places. Most of them, however, were delivered in the Uposatha temple of Wat Bovoranives Vihara (Bangkok, Thailand). For some three years there was a Dhammadesana there for the benefit of anyone who was interested to hear the Dhamma explained in English. Many of the people who attended were from western countries.
Now I have encouraged him to edit and publish these 'sermons' and Mahamakuta Foundation to support their publication, because as I see it, they will afford benefit to those who are interested to know Dhamma. And those people too, who are skeptical about some point of Dhamma, they may find their doubts resolved here.
Pointing to Dhamma, in other words, is pointing to the Law, which operates in everyone's life, or to the various processes, mental and physical with their interrelations, which make up one's 'self'. It has been rightly said that Dhamma taught by Lord Buddha is like a mirror, which reflects an image of one's face. By using the Dhamma-mirror, one can see and know the Truth in oneself. Everyone, whatever their religion, can use this mirror, which reflects completely true to life.
One behalf of Mahamakuta Foundation may, I thank Pra Khantipalo who has composed and edited all these desana, as well as everyone who has been concerned with this work.
Somdet Phra Nanasamvara.
Director, Mahamakuta
Foundation. Wat Bovoranives Vihara,
10th of March B.E. 2516 (1973)
Introduction:
Pointing to Dhamma
This introduction gives in brief an account of ways of teaching Dhamma, as the Buddha and other Enlightened teachers have done contrasted with instruction given by those who have only studied, and by those who both have studied and practiced.
The Buddha's sermons or discourses have been transmitted to us as Suttas, literally 'threads of discussion', and are collected together in the Pali Canon, or Tipitaka. When he taught Dhamma it was exactly suited to the needs of listeners and their characters.
Some examples of his skillfulness in this can be seen in the way he led the skeptical Kalama people to understand Dhamma by using their intelligent skepticism.* Quite different methods were used by him to tame the proud Brahmins whom, after some subtle discussion, would find themselves agreeing with what the Buddha had said in the first place.
His equanimity and ability to know other's minds tamed those who were furious and used abusive language, while his loving-kindness and compassion soothed the hearts of distraught women whose children had died. A farmer who accused him of idleness was won over by a discourse on farming the interior soil and a Brahmin accusing him of greed sang his praises after hearing his spontaneous verses on "Again, again..."
And of course, the Dhamma varied whether it was spoken to Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis who were devoted to full-time practice, or to lay devotees who had work and family to attend to, or to other lay people who had not taken him as their Teacher, or to various monks and ascetics of other views. The Dhamma they heard was just right for them.
When the Buddha taught Dhamma it was not necessary for him to think, 'How shall I teach or what shall I teach?' Once Prince Abhaya asked him whether he had to ponder over the Dhamma before teaching it and he replied with a counter-question: "Are you expert in the parts of a chariot?" The prince replied that he was. The Buddha then asked him whether he worked out before hand his answers to questions on the chariot, or whether he replied on the spot. The prince said that since he knew the chariot so well, the answers occurred to him immediately. Then the Buddha remarked that he replied to Dhamma-questions without prior reflection, "as the Dhamma-element has been fully penetrated by a Tathágata." This is the complete and natural response of Dhamma, of what is right and suitable and would aid the listeners.
As Dhamma was taught by the Buddha and his Enlightened disciples, the Arahants, in this way, those who listened, if they had faith and good concentration together with wisdom, came to know the Dhamma for themselves as they sat there. They followed in their hearts, step by step, the Dhamma taught by the Teacher and saw for themselves its truth while it was being taught. This is called true listening to the Dhamma and those who have accomplished this and seen Enlightenment or Nibbána in this way are known as Noble Disciples (literally, 'listeners').
The Buddha said that he had three sorts of mindfulness. When, out of compassion, he instructed people and they did not listen but practiced the opposite, he just had equanimity, with no overflow of ill-will as unenlightened teachers would have experienced. On the other hand, when he taught and his disciples practiced accordingly and reached attainment, he was full of joy but he had no overflow of attachment, like unenlightened teachers. And when the above two kinds of disciples were mixed together he did not have depression regarding the first or attachment for the second--there was just equanimity present.
"He taught Dhamma with direct knowledge not without it; he taught it causally not without causes; he taught it convincingly not unconvincingly"--this passage means that the Dhamma was not thought out by him, it was not a philosophical system he invented nor was it borrow from existing ideals, for he ha penetrated to Dhamma at Enlightenment-time. And when he taught Dhamma he did not ask people to believe him, for the Dhamma could be understood to be true through its causality; so, it was marvelously convincing in its presentation. The Buddha was evidence of its marvelous effectiveness, the Dhamma stage by stage was marvelous in realization and the Sangha, the community of those who have practiced and attained insight into Dhamma, evidence that Dhamma was suitable and necessary for all.
The sentence "The Buddha teaches Dhamma" uses a verb (deseti) meaning literally 'indicates'. That is, he points out or indicates what is there already. Dhamma is not a teaching, which superimposes some beliefs or dogmas on reality--just the opposite--for it points out the obstructions to seeing things they really are so that they may be removed. The Buddha's discourses then, are really indications, pointing-to, Dhamma. This is the meaning of the word desana, usually translated as 'sermon' or 'discourse'. These, as indications of Dhamma (Dhamma desana)*, show the Buddhist method of teaching very well. The Dhamma "invites one to come-and-see" (ehipassiko), it is timelessly true (akaliko), but we must look to see for ourselves. The indications, the pointing fingers, are there all the time. The direction is there of virtue, meditation and in-sight-wisdom. But as the Buddha says,
(Dhammapada 276):
"The striving should be done by you:
Proclaimers--the Tathágatas!"
In other words, the Buddha is going neither to push us on the way, nor give us a finger to hold on to; he proclaims it and it is up to us to make an effort. He has left us plenty of signposts or indications in the form of his recorded discourses.
Dhamma is taught in this way by one who is Enlightened, either the original discover -- a Buddha, or those whose discover it through his indications. Some people think that the time for Arahants is passed, some Pali Commentaries supporting this ideal, but those who practice Dhamma intensively, meditation especially, know that there are still a few in this world, mostly Bhikkhus or nuns, who have penetrated to the Dhamma in their own hearts. It is still possible to listen to Dhamma spoken by those who no longer have any defilement. This way of teaching, sometimes called 'Forest Dhamma' in Thailand, is indeed inspiring and urges us all not to waste time in this precious human life but to practice while we have the chance.
These Great Teachers have picked up the snake in the right way, behind its head, so that they will never be bitten by it. This simile was used by the Buddha to show the way of using Dhamma--picked up in the right way, for Enlightenment, it is only of benefit. But some pick it up for other purposes. There are Dhamma-thieves who steal it and then call it their own teaching. There are Dhamma-scullions who prepare messes of Dhamma mixed with all sorts of impure ingredients. And Dhamma-tinkers tour around flogging the Dhamma cheap, while one may find as well some Dhamma-theoreticians who never deign to practice but have in their mouths all the words and subtle ideals.
When Dhamma is taught by people like these, for fame or for wealth they will be bitten--not by Dhamma of course, but by their own defilement of pride and conceit and so on.
These kinds of people when they teach Dhamma will do so in a dry, uninteresting way. Their emphasis will be on the history of long dead Buddhist sects and their dead philosophies, or it will revolve about unimportant questions which are wholly theoretical. The Dhamma does not come alive in their mounts and their students will not see much benefit in practicing it. Where such persons are intent on fame they may even deliberately distort the Dhamma so as to teach people only what they want to hear. They can be sure of many disciples that way! The karmic results of this for such teachers will be a mean and deprived state of rebirth, while disciples who have little wisdom and follow them cannot expect anything much better. The Buddha has been very clear on when and how others should be taught:
"First one should set oneself
In that which is proper,
Then others one may teach:
A wise man is not blamed.
As one teaches others
So should one do oneself,
Fully tamed, others one may tame.
To tame oneself is really hard!
One's own good one should not neglect
For another's good however great;
One's own good knowing well
On one's own good be intent."
(Dhp 158,159,166)
Then, people may say, this is selfish! You only want to help yourself! Everyone else may go to hell! But if we understand this aright, we shall see that the Buddha was correct. One can only give help in the worldly way if one has the necessary money, skill or resources. It is the same in Dhamma--one can only help others with Dhamma when one practices oneself.
Really, others can only be helped up to the level of one's own practice. A wise person who helps in this way cannot be blamed by others, but if instruction is given in the manner of, 'Do as I say, don't do as I do', the instructor leaves himself wide open to blame. Taming others without taming oneself first is really quite easy, so long as one can keep up the front of hypocrisy, but the crash of such a clay-footed idol may be expected eventually. Not all the people can be fooled! This is why in the last verse above the Buddha lays such emphasis on one's own training. If that is attended to thoroughly for a number of years, "then others one may teach".
The Buddha has laid down the standard for helping others with Dhamma in the Numerical Collection (Anguttara-nikaya, Fives, 159). There he says that five factors should be established in oneself before speaking Dhamma; "I shall give others a graduated Dhamma-talk; I shall give them a Dhamma-talk showing causation; I shall give them a Dhamma-talk out of compassion; I shall give them a Dhamma-talk not for material gain; I shall give them a Dhamma-talk neither hurtful to myself nor to them." He comments further that it is not easy to teach Dhamma to others.
A third class of people who teach Dhamma includes perhaps most of the practical Dhamma-teachers found anywhere. They teach on the basis not only of learning but also practice though they have not yet attained the final goal. Their teaching can be therefore lively and useful in that it incorporates their own experience. The teachings given in this book come into this category.
Originally, they were written formal 'sermons' spoken from the Dhamma-seat in the main temple (Uposathaghara, Bot) of Wat Bovoranives Vihara, Bangkok. First written onto brown-paper 'concertinas' in palm-leaf size, they were then read by my venerable Preceptor, the Abbot of the above monastery, who would comment, on anything that should be changed. It was a great honor to receive this guidance from such an eminent scholar and practices. After corrections had been made they were delivered once a month to anyone who was interested to listen to Dhamma, though most of the audience was composed of westerners. In this new edition, better translations of some of the Pali texts quoted have been substituted. Also, wherever the English language makes it possible neuter in place of masculine gender has been used for people practicing Dhamma but in some places 'he and him' must still be taken to include 'she and her'. Finally, printing errors in the first edition have been corrected--not, one hopes, to be replaced by others in this edition!
May I take this opportunity to thank Ven. Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, Abbot of Wat Bovoranives Vihara, for his Foreword and for much time spent over these discourses, Phra Sumangalo of Indonesia who, many years ago, typed them all out, and last, Mr. Michael Shameklis who has helped this second edition through the printers.
Phra Khantipalo.
Wat Buddha-Dhamma,
Ten Mile Hollow,
Wisemans Ferry,
N.S.W. 2255 AUSTRALIA
Pointing To Dhamma
Book One
Sermon No. One:
False And True Refuges
Many are they who seek a refuge
On the hills and in the woods.
To groves they go, to tree and shrines
Men, by fear tormented.
Indeed that refuge is not secure,
That refuge is not supreme,
Not by coming to that refuge
Is one from all Dukkha free.
But who has gone for Refuge to the Buddha
To the Dhamma and Sangha too,
He sees with perfect wisdom
The (action of the) Fourfold Noble Truth:
Dukkha, dukkha's causal arising
And the overcoming of dukkha,
And the Noble Eightfold Path
Leading to dukkha's allaying.
This refuge is indeed secure,
This refuge is supreme,
By coming to this refuge
From all dukkha one is free.
(Dhp 188-192)
Today, the Dhamma-verses which will be expounded for the increase of awareness and wisdom, are upon the topic of the Three Refuges: The Lord Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, or as we may explain them; the Teacher, the Teaching and those who have been taught.
One who follows the Buddhist Teaching and is called a Buddhist is by definition, one who has gone for refuge to the Three Gems, the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. We shall return to this later.
First, let us examine the word sarana. Those of you who are Buddhists have just recited Buddham saranam gacchami and the same for the Dhamma and Sangha, meaning 'I go for refuge' to each of the Three Gems. But refuge, is not the only meaning to the word sarana, which can also be translated as 'protection', 'shelter' or even more positively as 'guide'. However, the most used translation is Refuge.
Now, a refuge is that place where one is secure. If we examine the verses here, we shall gain some idea of the meaning of 'sarana' for Buddhists.
The first verse explains the sort of places, which ordinary and one might say, ignorant people consider as refuges. Mountains, forests, sacred groves, trees and shrines are all mentioned as being thought holy and as refuges by the many.
Every religion knows of, even if not encouraging, such practices as resorting for pilgrimages to places sanctified by the life of great and saintly men and women. 'Shrines' would include all the temples, stupas, mosques, cathedrals and so forth. Such pilgrimages based upon the faith of the pilgrim, are sometimes profitable and sometimes not. They are profit when the hearts of those undertaking them are purified but they are an empty formality when done merely out of custom or tradition. But, in any case, one should not expect too much from refuges of this sort. At best they bring about a temporary improvement in the level of mental activity, while upon their completion habits reassert themselves in the great majority of people.
We should also note that the first verse speaks of why people go to such refuges: "by fear tormented". We learn elsewhere in the words of Lord Buddha that "Fear arises only for the fool, not for the wise man". The many folk who flee for refuge in this way are therefore fools. One should Understand here by the word 'fool', the opposite of being a wise person; that is, one who is ruled by ignorance and craving rather than by wisdom and compassion.