Why the Monkeys Washed out Their Ears
Photo: Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives C01194
“Once someone has achieved enlightenment, what do they usually do with the rest of their life? I guess it wouldn’t be their life, it would be the body’s life.”
~ Response by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~
This question is the same as asking, ‘What does the arahant who has ended all dukkha, who has put out all the fires of greed, anger, and delusion, what does the arahant do with their life?’ The answer to this is quite simple, we can base it on the records of Buddhist history. Certain of the arahants, after conquering the defilements, then spend their lives travelling around sharing the Dhamma with people, teaching and spreading the Dhamma in order to help other people make an end to the defilements. Other arahants didn’t go around teaching but they lived a quiet life of peace and happiness. Although they didn’t teach much or at all, just their way of living, the peace and happiness of a life free of defilements, was an example to others. And so although they may not open their mouths, when other people would see them, just seeing them and their happiness would encourage other people to get interested in Dhamma and living and practicing in order to have that peace and happiness. And some arahants would help with social problems to the degree that it’s possible to help – they would use their understanding of Dhamma to help address the problems of society. So it’s not really a problem to ask what enlightened beings do with their life. It’s quite simple – they help people. There are these three ways to choose from. One is to wander spreading the Dhamma, carrying out the Buddha’s wish so that people can be free of the defilements and dukkha. The second is to live a quiet simple life of peace and happiness as an example to others. And third, to the degree that it is proper, one helps to solve the problems of society.
The genuine wish or intention of the Buddha was for everyone to work together to help each other to conquer the defilements so that there can be genuine peace in this world. The genuine intention, the true intention of the Buddha, is to dedicate one’s life to bringing genuine peace into the world.
(From the retreat “Why the Monkeys Washed out Their Ears,” as translated from the Thai by Santikaro)
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Dhamma Questions & Responses sessions were offered by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu in 1990-1991 to foreign meditators attending Suan Mokkh International Dharma Hermitage courses.
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