Q2. What Did the Buddha Teach in Particular?

~ By Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~

A) As you can see, this is a large subject that can be answered from many different points of view. If asked this, we can say first of all that he taught us to travel the middle way, to be neither too strict nor too loose, to go to neither the one extreme nor the other. On the one hand, we are to avoid the extremely harsh self-mortification practiced in certain yoga schools, which simply creates difficulties and trouble. On the other hand, we avoid behavior that indulges in sensual pleasures, which amounts to saying, ‘Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!’ This is a cynical expression appropriate only for people overly interested in sensual pleasures.

By contrast, the middle way consists of, on one hand, not creating hardships for ourselves and, on the other hand, not indulging in sensual pleasures to our heart’s content. Walking the middle way brings about conditions that are in every way conducive to study and practice, and to success in putting an end to dukkha (suffering). The expression ‘middle will never lead you astray. The middle way consists of striking the golden mean. Knowing causes, knowing effects, knowing oneself, knowing how much is enough, knowing the proper time, knowing individuals, knowing groups of people: these seven noble virtues constitute walking the middle way.* This is one way of answering the question.

B) We could answer it equally well by saying that he taught self-help. You all understand what self-help is; you hardly will want it explained. To put it briefly, we ought not to rely on fortune and fate. We aren’t to rely on celestial beings, nor even, finally, on what is called ‘God.’ We must help ourselves, as in the well-known quote from the Buddha, ‘Oneself is the refuge of oneself.’ Even in theistic religions, it is said that God helps only those who help themselves. In other religions, this matter of self-help may be stated more or less definitely, but in Buddhism it is all important. The one who must help oneself is any one of us who suffers pain and anguish because of delusion. As it is our own delusion, we must turn to the way of self-help to be free of it. The Buddha said, ‘Buddhas merely point the way. Making the effort is something that everyone must do for themselves.’ In other words, Buddhism teaches self-help. Let’s bear this in mind.

C) Another way of answering is to say the Buddha taught that everything is subject to causes and conditions. All things happen in consequence of causes and conditions, and in accordance with natural law. This statement is like the answer received by Sāriputta when, prior to his entering the monastic community, he questioned a wandering monk and was told that the Buddha teaches thus: ‘For everything arising from a cause, we must know the cause of that thing and the ceasing of the cause of that thing.’ This Dhamma principle is scientific in nature, and we can say that the principles of Buddhism agree with the principles of science. The Buddha didn’t use individual persons or subjective things as criteria; Buddhism is a religion of reason.

D) To answer yet another way, as a rule of practice, the Buddha taught, ‘Avoid evil, do good, purify the mind.’ Collectively, these three are the Ovāda-Pāṭimokkha, meaning the ‘summary of all exhortations.’ Avoid evil, do good, purify the mind. Avoiding evil and doing good need no explaining, but making the mind pure isn’t as obvious. If one goes about grasping and clinging, even to goodness, mind will be gloomy and muddled, such as being afraid of not getting something good one wants or afraid of losing an existing good. The anxiety and worry that come with attaching to this and that as ‘mine’ also produce suffering. Even though we have succeeded in avoiding evil and doing good, we still must know how to free mind. Don’t grasp at or cling to anything as being self (‘me’) or as belonging to self (‘mine’). Doing so will create misery, as ‘me’ and ‘mine’ are a heavy burden of suffering (dukkha). In other words, grasping and clinging are like always carrying a heavy weight. Such is the burden of suffering. Even a load of precious gems carried on the shoulders or head is just as heavy as a load of rocks. So don’t carry rocks or gems of dukkha. Put them aside. Don’t let there be any weight on ‘purify mind,’ the third part of the Ovāda-Pāṭimokkha. The first thing is to avoid evil, the second is to do good, and the third is to make mind pure. This is yet another basic teaching of the Buddha.

E) Another teaching that provides an important reminder is, ‘All concocted things – everything in this world – are perpetually flowing and forever breaking up. They are all impermanent. May everyone be impeccable in heedfulness!’ Please listen carefully, however young you may be, to these words. They apply equally to all ages, all sexes, and all classes. Everything in this world is in perpetual flux, forever breaking up. All is impermanent. Therefore, we must equip ourselves fully with heedfulness. Don’t fool around with these things! They will bite you. They will slap your face. They will bind and hold you fast. They will make you sit and weep, or perhaps even commit suicide.

In conclusion, let’s bring together these various ways of answering the question, ‘What did the Buddha teach?’ which we can answer in one of the following ways:

(1) He taught to follow the middle way;

(2) He taught self-help;

(3) He taught us to be familiar with the law of conditionality and to adjust causes and conditions appropriately for the desired results to follow;

(4) He taught the basic principle of practice, ‘Avoid evil, do good, purify the mind’;

(5) And he reminded us that all concocted things are impermanent and perpetually flowing, so we must be fully equipped with heedfulness.

These are prominent ways that the question can be answered. If asked what the Buddha taught, then answer in any one of these ways.

(*) The seven qualities of dhammaññū, one who knows Dhamma (AN 7.68).

(From “Buddha-Dhamma for Inquiring Minds”)

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Buddha-Dhamma for Students (title of original translation) was composed of two talks given by Ajahn Buddhadāsa in January 1966 to students at Thammasat University, Bangkok. It was translated from the Thai by Rod Bucknell, and revised in 2018 by Santikaro Upasaka. To read/download as free ebook (pdf).

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For all English retreat talks, visit Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu.

For more information and free ebooks, visit Suan Mokkh – The Garden of Liberation.

Photo: Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives D-106