Q5. Where Do We Learn and Study?
~ By Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~
We answer this by quoting the Buddha once again, ‘In this fathom-long body together with awareness and intelligence.’ We learn in a human body accompanied by awareness and knowing. This means a living person, specifically, oneself.
In this fathom-long body accompanied by awareness and intelligence the Tathāgata (the Buddha) has made known the world, the origin of the world, the thorough quenching of the world, and the way to practice in order to realize the thorough quenching of the world. When he spoke of the origin of the world, the thorough quenching of the world, and the way of practice leading to the thorough quenching of the world, he meant that the whole Dhamma is to be found within the body and mind. Learn here. Don’t learn in a school, in a cave, in a forest, on a mountain, or in a monastery. Those places are external. Build a school inside, build a university within the body. There, examine, study, investigate, research, scout around, and find out the truth about how the world arises, how it comes to be a source of suffering, how there may be thorough quenching of the world (that is, quenching of suffering), and how to work towards attaining that thorough quenching. That is, rediscover the four noble truths yourself. Sometimes the Buddha used the word ‘world’ and sometimes the word ‘suffering’ (dukkha). The nature of the world, of suffering; the nature of its arising, its origin and source; the nature of its thorough quenching, the cessation of suffering and the turbulent world; and the nature of the practice which leads to dukkha’s end: these can be searched for and found in this body and nowhere else. If one appears to have found it elsewhere, it can only be as an account in a book, hearsay, mere words, and not reality itself. However, when it is looked for and found in this fathom-long body together with this mind, then it will be real. So if asked where to learn, say, ‘We learn in this fathom-long body, together with awareness and intelligence.’
(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-127